Disney gives free tickets to our armed forces

By Anthony Falcone
October 3, 2012
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Courtesy Disney

What a great idea! Disney is offering free admission to Disneyland and Walt Disney World to active and retired members of the military—plus active and retired members of the U.S. Coast Guard and activated members of the National Guard or Reservists.

Walt Disney World Resort

Through December 23, 2009, receive one free 5-day Park Hopper pass with the Water Park Fun & More option, getting you admission to all four theme parks plus five visits to other select WDW attractions, including its two water parks (disneyworld.com/military). Select resorts are also offering discounts of up to 40 percent.

Disneyland Resort

Through June 12, receive a free 3-day Park Hopper pass, admitting you to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. You can also purchase up to five 3-day adult or child companion tickets for the price of a 1-day ticket. For more information or to make reservations, you can call 714/956-6424.

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Space Mountain is closing at Walt Disney World in Florida on April 19 for refurbishment. Among other things, the popular roller coaster will have the entire length of its track replaced. It's unknown how long the repairs will take.

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Theme Parks

Coming soon: Free admission to Disney on your birthday

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts announced today that in 2009 it will offer free admission on your birthday to its theme parks in California or Florida. "Birthdays are the one occasion that we all share every year. We thought a free birthday ticket would be the icing on the cake," said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney parks and Resorts at a press conference today. The new policy follows up on 2008's popular "Year of a Million Dreams" promotion. Disney wants to focus on guests and the special occasions they're celebrating on their trips. ("Celebration vacation" is their term for these trips.) Guests will need to provide a valid ID showing their date of birth. For more details, visit disneyparks.com.

Theme Parks

Disney expands its guided tours

When I go on vacation, I don't want to be bogged down in details, paperwork, and hassles. But vacations often mean just that—dealing with airport transfers, museum tickets, baggage handling, and language barriers. Luckily, the folks at Disney want to handle the logistics for you, and during the last few years they've been slowly broadening the range of guided tours offered under the Adventures by Disney brand. Naturally, Disney specializes in family vacations where aspects of the trip are tailored to entertain guests of all ages. While the adults are off enjoying a wine tasting, for example, the "Junior Adventurers" can indulge in a pizza party. Disney has recently broadened its itinerary to include 23 destinations/experiences. In addition to returning favorites like Cities of Knights and Lights (London and Paris) and Discovery Down Under (Australia), they've added Taming the Last Frontier (Alaska: Fairbanks, Denali National Park, and Kenai Peninsula) and Gateway to the Galapagos (Ecuador and Galapagos Islands). Want to stay local? There's Beantown & The Big Apple, where you travel to Boston, Newport, and New York City. In the mood for something more exotic? How does Safari to South Africa sound: you'll experience Capetown, The Garden Route, and Kapama Game Reserve. Prices per person for the trips start at $2,129 (Spirit of America, 8 days/7 nights), and climb to $4,399 (Safari to South Africa, 12 days/11 nights). Each trip includes accommodations, transportation within your adventure, luggage service, most meals, gratuities, taxes, and the services of two Adventure guides—not to mention that indescribable Disney magic. Details for each adventure—as well as prices and booking information—can be found at adventuresbydisney.com. [UPDATE: We also discussed the program in our April issue.] Have you been on any of the Adventures by Disney trips? Did it live up to your expectations?

Theme Parks

Theme Parks: The Harry Potter attraction and other new rides

Robert Niles answered our questions about theme parks today. If any journalist in the country should know the scoop, it's Niles—given that he is the editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, which offers reviews and consumer news. Below, he talks about the upcoming Harry Potter attraction plus other hot news. What's hot? Toy Story Midway Mania at Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM Studios) and The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios Florida are this year's two new big attractions. Later this year, look for an American Idol attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios, where park guests compete on stage. Next year, Universal will debut its Hollywood, Rip, Ride and Rockit roller coaster and Sea World will debut its Manta coaster. And, of course, the Big One arrives in 2010 in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Islands of Adventure. Also, I'm excited about the plans for Disney's California Adventure. Pixar's John Lasseter is calling the creative shots now at the Disney theme parks. He's a former Disneyland employee and a real theme park fan, which is what you want in a corporate boss! The plans are to revamp the look of much of the park, and to add a massive new land based on the movie "Cars." The plans look spectacular, and Toy Story Midway Mania is just the first step. How will the ongoing construction of "Harry Potter's Wizarding World" at Universal's Islands of Adventure affect attendance at the surrounding parks in Orlando? Will it really draw a lot of people away from Disney? I think that a lot of people will put off visits to Orlando in late 2008 and 2009 to wait for Harry Potter in 2010. Especially with gas prices high and the economy weak now. Harry Potter's debut makes it easier for people to say, "hey, we can't afford it this year, but let' wait fir Harry Potter anyway." That's why I think you'll be seeing more deals coming from the parks as they try to keep attendance up in the meantime. Universal's three on-site hotels won't be able to handle half the prospective visitors who will want to stay on-site for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter when it opens. Will Universal construct a new resort in time for the opening? Not that I've heard. I suspect that prices will, uh, be going up at those hotels in 2010, though, in response to the demand. So late 2008 or 2009 will see some bargains available for people who want to visit Universal before Harry Potter, and get that front of the line pass. I also think that there remains a lot of confusion in the marketplace about Harry Potter. Many theme park fans think that it is going in somewhere at Walt Disney World, which is not the case. Every time I've visited WDW over the past two years, I have overheard guests talking about Harry Potter. A lot of fans are awaiting Disney's response. What's your opinion about paying a fee for the right to "jump the line"...which is a service that a few theme parks now offer? I just got back from Orlando, where we stayed at the Royal Pacific Hotel, on-site at Universal Orlando. One of the perks of staying at Universal's three on-site hotels is that you get unlimited "front of line" access to all (okay, all but one) the rides and shows at the two Universal Orlando theme parks, for no extra charge. I tell you, that was the best value I've ever had in a theme park vacation, and I'm going to have a hard time going back to Universal without that perk. The key, though, was that the perk was unlimited. With many paid line jumping services, including the one Universal offers to non-hotel guests, you get only a limited number times to skip lines. I'd try instead to visit the parks on a day when attendance is not that heavy, and to arrive first thing in the morning, when lines haven 't built up yet. That's a better deal than spending money on the skip pass. But If I were visiting on Fourth of July, or another busy weekend, I'd definitely consider buying one. What's your advice for people visiting a park, including any tips on mistakes to avoid? Arrive before the park opens and do the "biggest" roller coasters and thrill rides first. Then move to the higher capacity dark rides and shows. Get the big stuff out of the way before lunch, they you can enjoy the rest of your day, wandering around doing whatever catches your eye. Also, parents need to manage expectations. Parents try to get "full value" from the tickets and march their kids through the park like they are Sherman headed through Georgia. Plan for a sit-down lunch, time in the afternoon back at the hotel pool or taking a nap and don't push the kids too hard during the day. Look for playgrounds (like Disney's Tom Sawyer Island) where kids can run around, too, instead of just waiting in line and line. What are the most popular and top-rated rides among readers of ThemeParkInsider? The Amazing Adventure of Spider-Man at Universal's Islands of Adventure truly is a great ride. But Disney's Twilight Zone Tower of Terror won our Best Ride in America tournament earlier this year and a handful of other rides approach Spider-Man in rating popularity, including Expedition Everest and Disneyland's classic, Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney passes are supposed to be good forever. Will there be any way to redeem Pleasure Island passes after Disney closes the park in September? Disney will credit you the value of unused Pleasure Island tickets toward the purchase of some other Disney ticket. Bring them to any Guest Relations booth, or call Disney's guest relations number, (407) 939-6244, for details. If you have one of the Magic Your Way tickets with the Pleasure Island add-on, those still expire two weeks (I think) after first use. What's up with Six Flags? Six Flags' management is trying very hard to move away from its old, thrill park image. At the same time, that's what their parks were built for, so the transition is going slow. Six Flags has added Thomas the Tank Engine and Wiggles attractions at many of its parks, and continues to promote its Bugs Bunny and Warner Bros. toons, too. But those appeal more to younger kids. There's still a gap there for families with older elementary kids, that Six Flags is not yet appealing to. From what my readers tell me, Six Flags' best park, overall and for families, is Great Adventure in New Jersey, though Magic Mountain here in LA has improved dramatically under the leadership of park president Jay Thomas. I'd pick Magic Mountain if all I wanted was coasters, too. MORE FROM BT A roundup of this summer's hot theme parks

Theme Parks

Disney: Eat for free in Orlando

For the last few years, Walt Disney World has offered free dining plans in September to entice visitors during a notoriously slow month. Well, Disney announced yesterday that the Disney Dining Plan will once again be offered free with select vacation packages. If you stay at one of Disney's "value" or "moderate" category resorts—or at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa—between Aug. 24 and Sept. 20, 2008, and you book a 5-night "Magic Your Way" package (at a starting price of about $1,300 for a family of four), then they'll throw in the dining plan for free. The plan ordinarily costs $38 per day per adult. If you've never done the Disney Dining Plan, I highly recommend it. I've done it on my last two trips, and can't understand how I ever got by without it. The plan entitles each guest to one table-service meal, one counter-service meal, and one snack, per each night of their stay. The plan covers meals at most restaurants and snack stands at Disney's Orlando resorts. Unlike last year, it doesn't include gratuities, but you can still get your money's worth. For more info, visit disneyworld.com or contact Walt Disney Travel Co. at 407/934-7639 and ask for booking code AYG.