Hello Everyone!

Hooray! It’s December!! Our Disney vacation countdown chain only has a few more links!! We are all super excited for our long-awaited vacation to begin.

I plan on bringing some pixie-dust back for all of you in the form of new-found tips, mini trip reports and lots of photos – and hopefully after New Year’s I’ll have the time to post a lot of it on the site.

Okay then, before getting to this month’s news, here’s a quick update on the Disney planning spreadsheet files. Since posting the files in a new location on an external web host, they have now been downloaded over 3500 times! Maybe this month I’ll see someone in Disney World with the spreadsheet that I created!?

As always, if you have any feedback or questions, please send me a note.

The new ADR system is scheduled to launch in middle to late January of 2009.

Right now, you can book dining reservations for most restaurants through March 22, 2009. The new system has been delayed a few times and seems to change daily, so I suggest calling 407-W-DINE for the most up to date information.

May 2009 Park Hours Delayed

As of this writing, the May 2009 Park Hours have still not been released. All of the Park Hours will be posted as soon as they are officially released.

Air Travel Update

Here is a heads-up for anyone planning to use AirTran or Delta in the future. Effective December 5, 2008 Delta and AirTran will begin charging a fee for the first checked bag.

New “Bolt” Character Meet and Greet

You can now meet the characters from “Bolt” up close and in-person at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This new meet and greet is located in the Disney Animation Building at the Studios Theme Park. In attendance are Bolt the Super Dog, Mittens the Cat, and Rhino the Hamster.

CYBER MONDAY!
Please visit the Plan a Magical Vacation Amazon Store

Who needs Black Friday when you can have Cyber Monday!! Hassle-free online shopping is perfect for everyone! Have you finished your holiday shopping yet? Didn’t even start? Not to worry, just check out the Gifts and Shopping section of the website for all of your Disney guide books, music, and more.

Need an gift idea for the Disney-lover in your life? How about one of the hot new Disney games for the Wii - like Wii Disney Sing It, Ultimate Band , or Think Fast. Or how about a DVD? The new Tinker Bell movie or Wall-E is sure to put a smile on their faces.

Remember, you can now use all of the Amazon.com features like Search, Checkout, and read product and customer reviews right from within the Plan a Magical Vacation website.

In case you are wondering, yes the website does earn a commission when you shop through the links on our site. Thanks to all of you who show support in this way!

Find the Cheapest Airfare

If you are looking to find the best price you have got to check out Kayak.com. If you have ever booked your own airfare, you know what a pain it is to manually check all the different airlines for the best deal. Kayak is a travel tool that searches 140+ travel sites all at once and finds the cheapest fares for you – for flights, hotels, and even rental cars. After you get all of the results for your desired travel dates, you can then compare the results from all of the sites together – and there are many ways to filter and sort the results – all done instantly! Hotels searches are also offered, so check it out if you are planning to stay offsite in an Orlando area hotel. You can even buy direct from the airlines or agencies - Kayak is not a travel agent. And of course, Kayak is free!

Buy 4 Nights – get 3 FREE!

• Buy a 4 Night Disney World Package and get 3 Nights free including Magic Your Way theme park tickets. This offer is good at all Disney Resorts and is based on availability.

• Good for most dates between 1/4/2009 and 6/27/2009. In addition, if you travel between 1/4/09 thru 3/29/09 you’ll receive a $200 Disney Gift Card when you arrive!

• Use the following codes when booking:
  • RWZ: Vacation Package for dates between 1/4/09-3/29/09
  • WTY: Vacation Package with Quick Service Dining Plan
  • RXA: Vacation Package with Basic Dining Plan
  • MPL: Vacation Package with Deluxe Dining Plan

• More Info:
  
  • Disney Resorts
    
  • Disney Resort Room Size Comparison
    
  • Disney Resorts Dining
    
  • Disney Resorts Maps
    
  • Disney Ticket and Package Overview
    

Once again, this month’s tip comes directly from one of your fellow “Scoopers”! Thanks to Allison for this great tip.

“Make sure you make a list of everything you are bringing. If you don't you will probably forget something!”

I know it sounds really simple but it really is a great help to have everything written on a list. I make a list for each person and category too (like “stuff for car/plane”, etc).

All I know is that right now I am knee-deep in my packing lists! But I know that if I stick to them I’ll be just fine.

Sorry folks…..it’s been a busy month!!

To stay up-to-date with the recent additions, please visit our What’s New page. If you have a Disney or vacation-related idea that you wish to share with all of us, or if there is some topic you would like more info about, please contact me!