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The Disney Scoop, Issue #022-- Disney Discounts, News, Tips, and more....
September 01, 2009


Hello Everyone!

The clock is counting down the last hours of summer vacation! Most of you are probably making last minute preparations for school – but there are probably just as many who are making last minute preparations for a Disney trip – especially with the Free Dining offer! Just so you know….I’m jealous!

If you are one of those lucky ones heading down in the next couple of weeks or months, check out the tips section for all kinds of trip tips.

As always, before we jump into the news, I have a couple of housekeeping items to get out of the way. First, a friendly reminder to anyone traveling to Disney World in December. Your 90 day window is quickly approaching! Get ready to make all of your dining reservations and set your alarm for 7:00 am eastern time on your reservation day! Or you can try the new online system at http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/. For those going before then, hopefully you have already made all of your desired reservations. **Note that the ADR window will be returning to 180 days on October 27th, 2009.

If you use Facebook and you’d like to become a fan, leave a note, or even start a discussion, go to Plan a Magical Vacation on Facebook. Maybe post some interesting photos from your trips.

Once again, I’d like to extend a sincere thank you to all those who made a donation to the website this month – they are very much appreciated. Remember, your donations help defray the costs associated with creating and maintaining the site. See the Chip In section to donate or to learn more. Thanks again.

Finally, if you are in the early stages of planning your trip, or don’t even know where to begin, I suggest you start with the Disney Vacation Plan Step by Step Guide.

If you haven’t already, I suggest that you download the Disney planning spreadsheet. It is a simple spreadsheet that makes planning out your Disney days super easy! Since posting the spreadsheet files, they have been downloaded over 10,000 times! Read more about the spreadsheet or go directly to the download.

Lastly, if you are a new subscriber to the Scoop and have some extra time, you can catch up on old issues.

In this month's Disney Scoop

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



Okay, on with the news!




Disney World News
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TTA set to reopen
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The Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland Transit Authority (TTA) otherwise known as the “little blue cars”, is set to reopen on September 12, 2009. We just LOVE the TTA and would be really disappointed if it was closed during our vacation!



2009 Candlelight Processional Dinner Package Info
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Candlelight Processional at Epcot 2005

Candlelight Processional Dinner Packages are now available for booking! As always, a CP package guarantees you a reservation at an Epcot restaurant and reserved seating at one of the three daily shows. But in addition, you will now have access to a special viewing area for Illumintaions!

Read complete details about the Candlelight Processional and Dinner Package.



Wishes Dessert Party dates Extended
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The Wishes Dessert Party began on June 23 and has now been extended through October 31, 2009. The party consists of a self-service dessert buffet located at the Tomorrowland Noodle Station in the Magic Kingdom. The buffet includes sweets, beverages and of course exclusive viewing of Wishes, the nightly fireworks show.

The price has also increased. It is now $23.42 for ages 10 and over, $12.77 for guests 3-9. Reservations are not required, but are recommended as seating is limited. Prepayment, however, is required to reserve you space. Currently the Disney Dining Plan is not accepted. Reservations can be made by calling 407-WDW-DINE.



Disney to Acquire Marvel Entertainment
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The following is an excerpt from the August 31, 2009 Disney corporate news release.

Worldwide leader in family entertainment agrees to acquire Marvel and its portfolio of over 5,000 characters

Acquisition highlights Disney's strategic focus on quality branded content, technological innovation and international expansion to build long-term shareholder value

Burbank, CA and New York, NY, August 31, 2009 —Building on its strategy of delivering quality branded content to people around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:MVL) in a stock and cash transaction, the companies announced today.

Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney on August 28, 2009, Marvel shareholders would receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own. At closing, the amount of cash and stock will be adjusted if necessary so that the total value of the Disney stock issued as merger consideration based on its trading value at that time is not less than 40% of the total merger consideration.

Based on the closing price of Disney stock on Friday, August 28, the transaction value is $50 per Marvel share or approximately $4 billion.

"This transaction combines Marvel's strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney's creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories," said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. "Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney."

"We believe that adding Marvel to Disney's unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation," Iger said.

"Disney is the perfect home for Marvel's fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses," said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel's Chief Executive Officer. "This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney's tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world."

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel including its more than 5,000 Marvel characters. Mr. Perlmutter will oversee the Marvel properties, and will work directly with Disney's global lines of business to build and further integrate Marvel's properties.

The Boards of Directors of Disney and Marvel have each approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, effectiveness of a registration statement with respect to Disney shares issued in the transaction and other customary closing conditions. The agreement will require the approval of Marvel shareholders. Marvel was advised on the transaction by BofA Merrill Lynch.



Park Merchandise now available for order online!
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“Ever admired a pair of customized Mickey Mouse ears or a Disney Princess castle toy while on a Disney vacation, and later regretted not buying it once you returned home? Or wished you could travel to Disneyland wearing a Disneyland t-shirt en route? Now, for the first time ever, you can purchase select merchandise from Disney's domestic theme parks and resorts outside of the parks and online only at DisneyStore.com and/or DisneyParks.com/store.”



Start or expand your Disney DVD collection
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Looking for a quick and easy way to expand your Disney DVD library? A great way to do that is to join the Disney Movie Club. Right now, you can get 4 Disney Movies for $1.99 Each, plus FREE SHIPPING! Disney DVDs are a wonderful way to bring the magic home - and a nice way to pass a lazy summer day!



Start Your Own Web Business!
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During the past few months, I’ve had numerous people inquire about my website – like how I started it, how income is generated, and what’s all involved in getting a site up-and-running. I thought I would share a couple of things with all of you about this topic.

In this time of economic upheaval, an internet business is a great alternative or replacement for a traditional office job. Think about it. You get to share your thoughts and opinions on a topic near and dear to your heart – and you can do it all from the comfort of your own home – even in your pajamas if you wish!

What about you? Do you have something that you are passionate about? Are you looking for a way to make some extra money each month? Are you a student, a retiree or maybe a stay-at-home mom who needs a creative outlet?

Why not start a website? I know it sounds intimidating, but hear me out. I knew NOTHING about website building when I started… so I really needed a “Website-Builder-for-Dummies” kind of thing – and guess what? I found it. It is called Site Build It! It is a wonderful service that does all of the behind-the-scenes work for you – leaving you to focus solely on the content of your website.

Please feel free to ask me about it or just go check it out for yourself!



Discounted Tickets
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If you are not using a Disney vacation package, you can either purchase your park tickets directly from Disney at the gate, or you can get discounted Disney World tickets from an outside vendor.

These vendors buy tickets in bulk and pass the savings on to you – the consumer! I recommend buying your Disney tickets or tickets for other Orlando attractions from Maple Leaf Tickets. In addition to Disney tickets, they also offer discounts on many Orlando area shows, attractions, dinner shows, and theme parks.

They offer competitive pricing paired with over twenty years of industry experience. They’ll even deliver your tickets to your resort hotel or directly to your home before your vacation!

More Info:



Give the Gift of Disney Stock
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I’ve always heard about the deal where you can give (or get!) a share of Disney Stock as a gift. I just thought I would pass along the idea to all of you. Now is a great time to buy stock – considering the state of the markets today. So, check it out. You can even buy a Framed Share of Walt Disney Stock
through the My First Stock Program – that would make a really unique gift for a baby shower or a graduation, or even a birthday or Valentine’s Day! 		Own a Share of Disney Stock!




Find the Cheapest Airfare
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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!



Disney World Specials
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Check the Discounts page for up-to-date Disney specials and discount codes.

FREE Disney Dining Plan!

When you purchase a minimum 3-night Magic Your Way hotel and theme park ticket packages, your family will enjoy the Disney Dining Plan, Free.

However, there is a twist this time!

Your choice of resort determines which level of the Dining Plan you’ll receive. Guests staying in value resorts will get the Quick-Service Dining Plan for free, while those staying in moderate resorts, deluxe resorts, and villas will receive the Basic Dining Plan free. You can always upgrade to a higher level plan at additional cost.

  • More Info:



    Tip of the Month
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    Traveling with small children…

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

    “This is for parents with smaller children that may wander off and possibly get lost in the crowd. Write your cell phone number on a small piece of white material (in permanent marker) and pin the material to the inside of your child’s shirt. Explain to your child that if they get lost that they should go to any Disney Cast Member (point them out as you go through the Parks) and show them the phone number so they can call you.”

    Be sure to visit the Tips sections for more great ideas!





    What’s New
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    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!



    Until Next Time…
    Well, that’s all for this month. Be sure to bookmark or add us to your favorites so you can stay informed of all of the changes at www.plan-a-magical-vacation.com.
    Enjoy planning your magical Disney World Vacation!
    Best regards,

    If you like this newsletter, please feel free to forward it to a friend. Also, please share your thoughts or suggestions with me. I always appreciate feedback and I am very interested in making each and every newsletter edition as helpful and meaningful for you as possible. If a friend did forward this to you and if you like what you read, please subscribe by visiting The Disney Scoop.Be sure to visit us again to Plan a Magical Vacation!
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