Disney's New MyMagic Bands: Cool or Creepy?

This year, Disneyland is rolling out the red carpet for a holiday trio that sometimes gets short shrift in the U.S.: The Three Kings. In Spain, Mexico, Central America, and Puerto Rico, the feast of the Epiphany, commemorating the visit of the Three Kings (also known as the Three Wise Men and the Magi), who followed the Christmas star to pay tribute to the baby Jesus, is a day for treats, music, and religious ceremonies. (The feast is also part of the "12 Days of Christmas," with Twelfth Night falling on the eve of the Epiphany, January 5.) Now, Disneyland is getting in on the action with Three Kings Day, actually a three-day celebration (January 4, 5, and 6) at Big Thunder Festival Arena, in Frontierland. Highlights will include: Music. The celebration will include performances by the Ballet Folklorico Dancers in brightly colored costumes, music by Mariachi Divas, and, of course, Disney characters dressed in traditional Latin American fiesta garb. Crafts. There will also be Magi-themed art projects for the little ones, including paper crowns that kids can decorate with crayons and plastic jewels and face-painting featuring the moon and stars. Food. Latin-inspired treats will be available, including chimichangas, traditional Rosca de Reyes (King's Bread), tamales with pineapple, and pleasantly spicy Mexican hot chocolate. Talk to us! Have you participated in the Feast of the Epiphany in Spain or Latin America? We'd love to hear what it was like!

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