Disneyland Adds Magi to the Magic

The Magic Kingdom just got more magical. The newest section, Fantasyland, opened today and it's the largest expansion since the park opened in 1971. The Enchanted Forest is made up of attractions inspired by The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast (watch a send-up on House Hunters as Belle and the Beast pick their new home below). This is also where you'll find the Be Our Guest restaurant, the first at the Magic Kingdom to serve alcohol. Fantasyland is a work in progress and won't be completed for a couple years. Coming up next year will be a Princess Fairytale Hall for meet-and-greets with the princesses, followed by a Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in 2014.

When I first visited Walt Disney World’s Epcot, I felt as if I’d been there before. A little background: One of my earliest memories is of trooping among the colorful pavilions of the 1964 New York World’s Fair as a toddler. Sure, my recall is selective and hazy, but the exhibits dedicated to the nations of the world obviously made a huge impression on my budding consciousness. I remember seeing life–size models of dinosaurs, the debut of the “It’s a Small World” ride (I especially loved riding in a little boat that glided down pretend canals), and, in a feat that would prove logistically impossible these days, Michelangelo’s Pieta—shipped over from the Vatican to Queens for the occasion. Years later, as a (very) young adult, I made my first trip to Epcot, which was then only a few years old and known as EPCOT Center (an acronym for “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow”). I had a great day combining some light education with serious multi–cultural eating and an overall upbeat environment. I remember one moment in particular, as my fake boat meandered down a fake river that passed through, if I’m not mistaken, a very real Latin American restaurant, saying aloud, “Hey! This place is just like the Worlds Fair!” But Walt Disney’s original vision for Epcot was as a real community, with about 20,000 residents. Reality slowed progress on that dream and in the end the place opened after Disney’s death, striking a balance between exhibits focused on the future and those focused on the cultures of different countries. (Disney lore has it that two teams of Imagineers came up with competing plans and ended up merging them into one design.) This week, visitors to Walt Disney World can have a little brush with history. October 1 is the 30th anniversary of the opening of Epcot, and true to the park’s educational mission, plans for the celebration included a blend of futuristic speculation and international culture, including talks scheduled for Monday afternoon about “Designing the Future—Past and Present” and “Epcot: How It Changed the World,” with well–known Imagineer Marty Sklar. Appearances by musical artists the Voices of Libery and Mariachi Cobre were also planned, along with an extended “IllumiNations” show on Monday evening. What are your memories of Epcot? Were you there for its opening back in 1982? Are you there now for the anniversary? We’d love to hear your impressions—and see your pictures! —Robert Firpo–Cappiello MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL The Completely Obsessive Absolutely Indispensable Guide to Disney World 6 Simple Questions That Will Save You Money on Vacation Top 10 Most Visited Cities in the World

The alcohol ban at the Magic Kingdom ends in mid-November. No, you won't be able to get a souvenir plastic cup full of Bud to make waiting in long lines more palatable. But you will be able to pair your dinner with a glass of Merlot at Be Our Guest, a Beauty and the Beast-themed French restaurant in the park's new Fantasyland section. The controversial move came after guests rallied to improve the "gourmet experience." "You cannot walk into a French restaurant and not get a glass of wine or beer," Maribeth Bisienere, vice president of food and beverage for Walt Disney Parks, told the Orlando Sentinel. "It made more sense to do it than not to do it." Wines will range from $8 to $17 per glass (bottles are $75 and under, with one $99 for big spenders) and are mainly from France or California. Beers will be Kronenbourg 1664 (likely the only French beer you could name) and three Belgian brews. The menu includes French classics like mussels Provencal and ratatouille as well as pork chops and strip steak. Reservations are available starting for November 19 (though the 500-seat restaurant is a hot ticket). Fantasyland officially opens December 6 with Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid-themed attractions. MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: Theme Park Survival Guide The Completely Obsessive Absolutely Indispensable Guide to Disney World Confessions of a Disney Cast Member

It's never too early to start planning for Halloween. We've got the inside scoop on Halloween events happening this year at Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld, and Six Flags theme parks. HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS In addition to annually updated shows like Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure, this year the parks are home to The Walking Dead: The Living and the Dead, a terrifying attraction inspired by season four of the hit zombie t.v. show, The Walking Dead. Additional creepy maze attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood include Insidious, Michael Myers' Halloween, This Is the End, Crimson Peak, and Alien v. Predator. Still not scared? Try the Survive the Purge Terror Tram, a terrifying tram ride through Universal's Backlot. Universal Orlando will feature many of the same attractions (in haunted house form rather than being giant mazes) as well as haunted houses like Freddy vs. Jason, Insidious, The Purge, An American Werewolf in London, 25 Years of Monsters & Mayhem, Run: Blood Sweat and Fears, Body Collectors: Recollections, and Asylum in Wonderland: 3D. Universal Studios Hollywood Dates: Oct. 1-4, 8-11, 15-18, 22-25, 29-Nov. 1st. Event is 7 p.m. thru 2 a.m. each night. Prices: General admission prices start at $60 per person plus tax (and range to $85 per person plus tax) when purchased online depending on which day you go—they're from $85 per person plus tax at the gate. To enjoy time at the park during the day and during the event at night, you can buy the Day/Night Combo ticket for from $99-$130 per person plus tax. Click here for additional ticket options. Universal Studios Orlando Dates: Park is open til 1 a.m. Oct. 1, 7, 14, 21, 28-31, and Nov. 1st; park is open til 2 a.m. Oct. 2-4, 8-11, 15-18, 22-25. Prices: Tickets start at $101.99 per person plus tax for one night—Florida resident rates range from $49.99 to $76.99 (depending on which day you go) when ordered online. You can also add-on a Halloween Horror Nights ticket to the price of your regular daytime park ticket for from $49.99-$76.99 more per person depending on which day you go. Stay at one of the Universal Orlando Resort's on-site properties and be close to all the action—Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort is the property's newest hotel, includes a free shuttle to and from the parks, and has packages starting from $165 per person per night. Additional Halloween Horror Nights packages are also available at the resort's other on-site hotels as well as participating partner hotels. HOWL-O-SCREAM AT BUSCH GARDENS AND SEAWORLD Among this year's collection, take on haunted houses like The Basement, Zombie Mortuary, Death Water Bayou, Unearthed: Scarlett's Revenge, Zombie Containment Unit 15: Moving Targets, Circus of Superstition, Dead Fall, or get your nerve up for one of several creepy attractions including Cut Throat Cove, Catacombs, Deadline, Cornered, Lumberhack, or Bitten at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Dates: Oct. 1-3, 8-10, 15-18, 22-25, and 29-31. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. and the event runs until 1 a.m. each night. Prices: Tickets online range from $60 to $70 per person plus tax depending on which night you go. Groups of four or more can save by ordering 4-Packs online for Thursday nights starting at $35 per ticket and $50 per ticket on Friday nights. Try the Wild & Wicked Weekend Ticket, starting at $90 per person, to visit Busch Gardens Tampa Bay during the day and experience Howl-O-Scream at night. Click here to view additional ticket options. Busch Gardens Williamsburg Dates: The park is open until 10 p.m. Oct. 2-4, 11, 18, 21, and Nov. 1st. and until 11 p.m. Oct. 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, and 31st. Gates open at 6 p.m. Prices: Busch Gardens Williamsburg offers the Fall Fun Card, allowing you to pay for one day's admission and come back anytime thru Nov. 1st. The card costs $77 per person plus tax (the same as a regular single–day park ticket, and gives you unlimited admission during the day and at night for Howl-O-Scream. Seaworld San Antonio Dates: The park is open til 11 p.m. Oct. 3, 4, 10, 11, 16-18, 23-25, 20, and 31st. How-O-Scream festivities start at 7 p.m. each night. Prices: The SeaWorld Fall Fun Card starts at $69 per adult plus tax (from $60 per child ages 3-9) and gives you unlimited admission to SeaWorld thru Jan. 3, 2016, including admission to Howl-O-Scream events. FRIGHTFEST AT SIX FLAGS Halloween events takes place at various Six Flags theme parks around the country. Events, dates, and prices vary by theme park so check the Six Flags park's website for more details.