Time to get into the holiday spirit! Celebrity narrators announced for EPCOT's Candlelight Processional, which begins Nov. 29.
The holidays are all about cherished family traditions—and at the 2024 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth, there are traditions new and old from all corners of the globe! Now’s the time to start planning merry moments for the season – check out the top three...
10/07/2024
While the exact impact of Hurricane Milton is still unknown, our Magic Makers® and the call centers of all Central Florida destinations have prioritized clients with immediate travel needs that may be affected by the storm and to ensure that our agents and their families in the region are safe. If you've contacted us regarding future travel, please rest assure that we'll be with you as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience!
10/04/2024
It's not too early to begin planning your 2025 Walt Disney World trip. This great discount offer goes from the end of February to the end of June!
Save at select Disney Resort hotels for arrivals most nights from Feb 26 to Jun 30, 2025
10/01/2024
Discount offers for 2025 are now available. Did you know that 2025 Walt Disney World guests get free water park admission on their resort check in day? Interested in a quote? Let me know!
Save Up To 25%
09/10/2024
On our most recent trip to Walt Disney World, we got a chance to tour the brand new cabins at Fort Wilderness Campground. These cabins sleep up to six and feature a full kitchen (and an outdoor grill). I thought they were really sharp, and would be great for a certain type of visitor. These would be best for experienced Walt Disney World travelers who know their way around the resort and might be less focused on the parks. You would also definitely want to have a vehicle, since it's more difficult getting to the parks with the internal bus system in Fort Wilderness.
08/28/2024
New Disney After Hours dates announced for 2025, including Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
Disney After Hours is back at Walt Disney World Resort for 2025, offering late-night adventures for you and your family. These separately ticketed events are limited to a select number of guests, allowing you to enjoy Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT after they officially ...
08/28/2024
Don’t miss out on our last-chance departures — your ticket to exciting destinations like Australia, Cambodia, and beyond. Whether you’re craving a romantic getaway, an adventure-packed trip, or a family-friendly escape, enjoy discounts of up to $350 off per person on select Adventures by Disney® departures. But hurry, these offers won’t last long! ⏳✨ You must book by December 31, 2024, and space is limited, so make sure to reserve your spot now for an unforgettable adventure 🌍✈️ More details: https://offtoneverland.com/save-on-select-adventures-by-disney-departures/
08/22/2024
Looks amazing!
08/15/2024
Congratulations to all our Magic Makers® celebrating an August anniversary! Your hard work and dedication turn your clients' dreams into a reality!
08/15/2024
What's New / What's Next for Disney Destinations as announced at D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA.
08/11/2024
Plenty of announcements at D23 rounded up at this link.
Among the highlights for Walt Disney World:
- New Villains Land at Magic Kingdom with two major attractions
- Two Cars attractions at Frontierland in Magic Kingdom
- Monsters, Inc. Land at Hollywood Studios with a suspended coaster through the door vault
- Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom, featuring Indiana Jones and Encanto attractions (the land will open in phases by 2027, replacing Dinoland USA)
- New Test Track opens at Epcot in 2025
Also, plenty of other news at the other Disney parks, including an Avatar land at Disneyland Resort.
If you can believe it, we just wrapped up almost 50 announcements during the Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at the Honda Center during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event for 2024. And these aren’t just blue sky announcements for some time, somewhere down the road. No, these are things we’...
08/11/2024
A welcome return of a nighttime parade to the Magic Kingdom in 2025!
08/04/2024
Continuing my debriefing from our recent Walt Disney World vacation, let's talk food. Despite the number of times we've visited, there's a number of restaurants we haven't had a chance to try.
One of those was Yak and Yeti in Animal Kingdom. We finally made it there, and I'm glad we did. First, the restaurant is full of interesting decor and theming, as you can see from these photos. As for the food, which is a variety of Pan-Asian cuisine, I'd say it's good, not great, but decent value for the portions you get. I ordered an appetizer as my meal, the Ahi Tuna Nachos, which is the giant mound of food pictured here. It has sushi-style tuna with wonton chips, slaw and sauce. It was $22 and really filling. Kerri got the Korean Beef and enjoyed it. If this type of food is up your alley, I recommend Yak and Yeti as an enjoyable experience that isn't going to break the bank.
Yak and Yeti is a Landry's restaurant, and we were able to use a discounted Landry's gift card we purchased through Gift Card Exchange. You can find Landry's gift cards through other sources, like Costco, as well. The Landry's gift cards can also be used at Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex on Disney property.
Our favorite meal was a place that we had not revisited since our first trip in 2009. It was Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We are not huge eaters, so we tend not to go to the buffets, but with an extra annual pass discount, we decided to try the breakfast at Boma. I loved the variety they had there, with a number of African-flavored dishes you won't find anywhere else. But, if your tastes are more conventional, they have your usual breakfast offerings, including Simba waffles. Highly recommended.
One other first-time restaurant we tried was City Works at Disney Springs. This was good as well. It's pretty conventional bar food, but if you're a craft beer drinker, they have a huge assortment of on-tap beers, including many local brews. Our server gave a recommendation on a hazy IPA that I really enjoyed.
City Works might have been our best value, because we used the In Kind app. I tried this app out for the first time because Costco had a deal where you got a $100 credit for $60. On top of that, In Kind offers a monthly $10 off of $30 deal, and for City Works, they had a $25 off of $75 offer, which worked out great. We were also able to use In Kind at Jaleo in Disney Springs, visiting there for their Happy Hour, known as Sangria Hour. Go to the bar between 11:30 am and 6 pm daily and enjoy $7 sangria and a selection of tapas in the $5 to $6 range. We still love Jaleo! When you use the In Kind app, you will have to pay separately for any gratuities, so keep that in mind. But we definitely found it to be a fantastic value.
07/26/2024
It was our first visit for the Fourth of July and I think we did pretty well seeing the amazing fireworks displays. I mean, what better place to see fireworks than Walt Disney World, right?
Both Magic Kingdom and Epcot have special displays for the Fourth. Both have them for two nights on July 3 and July 4, so you can catch both on consecutive nights. We chose to do Magic Kingdom on the 3rd and Epcot on the 4th.
Magic Kingdom was crowded, as you could expect, but we were able to snag this spot I took this photo from about a half hour before the fireworks. They had a DJ in front of the Castle, entertaining the crowd beforehand. We were on Main Street, next the Confectionary. The Magic Kingdom fireworks are "360," meaning they come from all around the park, including outside the park. So, you could really watch them from anywhere, including the surrounding resorts. Being near the train station was a help in being able to beat some of the crowds out afterward.
At Epcot, they do the full Luminous show (which I enjoyed as much as any Epcot show since Illuminations) before a special show for the Fourth. The video below is the finale of that show, which had more fireworks at once than I have ever seen. Plenty of crowds as well, but they were spread throughout World Showcase. One thing we definitely did right was booking Disney's Beach Club Resort, so we were able to walk back to our hotel from the International Gateway. Guests who were relying on the Skyliner to get back to their resort, however, had an incredibly long wait, with that line extending nearly to the Beach Club walkway. Not ideal.
In the end, I'm glad we got to experience the ultimate in fireworks shows. If you had to choose between the two displays, my pick would be Epcot.
07/24/2024
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Disney Cruise Line® Offers Half Off Deposits for Select 2024 - 2025 Sailings
07/20/2024
We got back recently from a 12-night(!!!) stay at Walt Disney World, so I'll be sharing some of my observations here in the coming weeks.
First, the highlight was being at Magic Kingdom for the opening day of Tiana's Bayou Adventure, which took the place of Splash Mountain.
I've got some exterior shots on this post because I really don't want to spoil the experience. I'm glad that I intentionally avoided all ride-through videos, because it was really fun seeing everything fresh. Maybe I'm partial because I love New Orleans, but the music and new animatronics really put this attraction over the top. The log flume itself is the same track, but it's a fresh, new experience that is not to be missed. In particular, the big finale where the riverboat used to be after the drop is really well done with so many details that you'll be seeing new things on each trip through the bayou.
We did sample the begniets from the nearby Golden Oak Outpost. Fun, but I admit they don't come close to the real thing you'll get at Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter. I'm also partial to the begniets at Port Orleans French Quarter resort.
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Videos
Happy 4th of July from Epcot! 🇺🇸
One of our big wins from this past trip was finally getting into Trader Sam's Grog Grotto, the ridiculously fun tiki bar in Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. There's often a multi-hour wait to get in, and even if you get there when it opens at 3 p.m., you'll encounter a lineup of people waiting. There are no reservations. You need to get on the walk-up list by going there. They'll be able to give you an estimated return time and will text you when a spot has opened for you.
We gave it a try when we had a dinner reservation at Kona Cafe (which was outstanding, BTW) Before dinner, we checked in at Trader Sam's and they were able to give us an estimated return time about an hour and 15 minutes away, which would be perfect to follow our dinner. I think it helped that the return time was just after 8. Kids are not allowed in Trader Sam's after 8, so I'm sure there's some turnaround of tables around that time. Plus, you have a lot of people trying to get over to Magic Kingdom for fireworks. So if you're shooting to get into Trader Sam's around 8:15 or 8:30, that might be your sweet spot.
If you do get in, many of their specialty drinks set off special effects and all kinds of hijinks (as seen in this video). They also have decent appetizers that you could probably make a meal of. Plus, you can get the tiki mug your drink comes in, such a fun souvenir!
Have you ever wondered what Space Mountain looks like with the lights on?
We were riding the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover and happened to see this when our vehicle entered the Space Mountain structure.
Just back from a great Walt Disney World vacation, so in the coming weeks, I'll be sharing my photos, videos and observations to help you with your own vacation planning.
First off, our experience with TRON Lightcycle/Run. It's a really fun, thrilling coaster with great visuals. From the outside, the lightcycles' movement really enhances the kinetics of the area, especially at night, when the lights of the canopy shift and change color. My one issue with it is that for a headliner, it's a fairly short experience - less than a minute.
We were able to use the virtual queue to get a boarding group, but with the popularity of the attraction, it was still a wait. The first time, we had boarding group 55 and got called around 1 p.m., waiting close to an hour to ride. The second time, we got boarding group 36, got called around 10:30 and waited closer to a half hour. If you want to avoid that wait, you'll have to purchase a Lightning Lane. If you go that route, I recommend purchasing a Lightning Lane for the evening, when the visuals of the lighted outside canopy have full effect.
Did you remember to turn your clocks back this morning? That's an extra hour that you have to plan your next Disney trip!
Did you know about Super Zoom PhotoPass spots? There aren't huge signs for them, so you might miss them. The Super Zoom spot in Magic Kingdom is shown here. The Animal Kingdom location is near Everest, just before the bridge to the Nemo theater. However, our last trip, we tried to visit it a couple times and it wasn't staffed.
There are also super zoom spots in Epcot between the entrance fountain and Spaceship Earth, and in Hollywood Studios near First Order Cargo overlooking the Millennium Falcon in Galaxy's Edge.
Don't miss them the next time you visit, especially if you've purchased Memory Maker.
What is a Magic Maker?
Magic Maker is the name that Off To Neverland Travel gives to their travel agents. My agency is an authorized Disney Vacation Planner with a team of agents that have a passion for helping people have magical vacations. I have gone through the College of Disney Knowledge and have training in helping clients book vacations at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii and Adventures By Disney destinations. I book directly with Disney, so when you’re paying for your trip, you’re paying Disney, not me.
Do you handle other destinations?
I have gone through training with Universal Parks and Resorts to book trips to their Orlando theme parks, including all their Harry Potter attractions. Our agency has access to booking other destinations and cruise lines as well, though our specialty is definitely Disney.
What’s the advantage of booking with you?
If you’re a first-time traveler to Walt Disney World, or another Disney destination, I can’t stress enough the importance of having a knowledgeable vacation planner help you navigate all the options and find the best plan for your family. I’ll provide you with a day-by-day itinerary for your trip, filled with tips gleaned from my personal experience. If you’re an experienced Disney traveler, I can relieve you of the stress and labor of booking your ADRs (advance dining reservations) and FastPasses. I’ll also be a resource for you while you’re on vacation if you run into questions or other issues.
What’s this going to cost me?
For clients booking Disney vacation packages, there is no additional cost, and in some cases, there’s a savings. Part of my service is to watch for discounts as they are released and apply them to your reservation if eligible. I also offer fee-based planning services for those who might be booking their own off-site accommodations, but still want help setting up their reservations.
How far in advance should I plan my trip?
It’s best to plan as far in advance as possible to get exactly what you want. For Walt Disney World, dining reservations open 180 days in advance and FastPasses open 60 days in advance. If you can plan ahead enough to hit those windows, you’ll be in good shape. If you’re going on a cruise, you’ll get the best pricing when you book early.
How long of a trip to Walt Disney World do you recommend?
Ideally, I think a week is a good amount of time to spend at Walt Disney World. The per-day cost of park tickets drops markedly the longer you go (you can purchase up to 10-day tickets). And the longer time allows you to take time to relax and see more attractions. But believe me when I tell you that in a week, you’ll be lucky to see half of what Walt Disney World has to offer. The Disneyland Resort in California is ideal for a shorter trip. You can really get a lot done there in as few as two or three days, though there's enough there to enjoy a longer stay. Disneyland multi-day tickets go up to five days.
What’s the best time to go to the Disney theme parks?
Crowd levels used to vary greatly during different seasons, but in recent years, crowds have largely evened out. There are a couple times of year that are definitely busier: Christmas and New Year’s weeks have the biggest crowds of the year and Spring Break/Easter are heavier as well. Otherwise, you’ll generally see lower crowds when kids are in school. Fall is a nice time to go with the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot and moderate temperatures. Our family typically goes in the summer. Yes, it’s definitely hot, but there are plenty of opportunities to get inside and cool off with A/C. Plus you have the longest park hours of the year and generally fewer attractions are closed for refurbishment. Bottom line, there’s no bad time of year to go and I can help you sort through your options.
OK, I think I want to book a trip, what’s my next step?
Get in touch with me about what you’re interested in and I can provide you with a customized quote. I’m happy to answer questions or just talk Disney. You can message me directly on Facebook, or call or text me at 219-916-7304. Believe me when I say that planning a trip is half the fun!
