Hello Everyone!

Well, the lights are up, the tree is decorated, the shopping is done (well – almost done!). All that’s left is to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! So, to you and yours, I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season! Don’t forget to pick up some last minute Christmas gifts for the Disney-lover in your life! Check out our Disney gifts section or get authentic Disney Parks merchandise at DisneyStore.com.

Many of you are headed to Disney in the next month or two, so make sure to check out the tips section for all kinds of last minute trip tips.

Before we get to this month’s news, I’d like to get some housekeeping items out of the way. First, a reminder to those traveling to Disney World from now through May. Your 180 day window is now open. For those going in June 2010, your 180 day point 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 go 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 is now 180 days as of October 27th, 2009.** In order to aid guests in their planning, the park hours will also be released 180 days in advance. Yay!!

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. 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 try the Disney planning spreadsheet. It is a simple spreadsheet that makes planning out your Disney days super easy! Please contact me for the sheet – I’d be happy to send it to you. Read more about the spreadsheet. Lastly, if you are a new subscriber to the Scoop and have some extra time (if you do I am extremely jealous!), you can catch up on old issues.

In this month's Disney Scoop

• Disney World News
  • Picnic in the Park Changes
  • Fairytale Dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table
  • Locker Rental Price Increase
  • Wheelchair and ECV Rental Price Increase
  • Park Merchandise now available for order online!
  • Start or expand your Disney DVD collection
  • ** Start your own web business! **
  • Discounted Tickets
  • Give the Gift of Disney Stock
  • Find the Cheapest Airfare
• Disney World Discounts and Specials
• Tip of the Month
• What’s New on the Site

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

Picnic in the Park Changes
(back to Table of Contents)

As of November 25th, 2009 Disney has instituted some changes to the Picnic in the Park dining option in the Animal Kingdom. First, you can now order up until 2:30 pm. Second, the locations for meal-pickup have changed. Tier 1 picnics will now be picked up from Dino Bites, while the Tier 2 meals will be picked up from the Kusafiri Coffee Shop.

You can also now create a “grab-and-go” bag with your choice of sandwiches, a bag of chips, a dessert and a water. These can be picked up at Beastly Bazaar.

Fairytale Dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table
(back to Table of Contents)

Magic Kingdom Character dining experiences at Cinderella's Royal Table will soon be called Fairytale Dining. This change will take place beginning February 7, 2010. Essentially this means that the breakfast, lunch, and dinner character meals will no longer have specific individual names as they have had in the past. The current pricing remains the same, and reservations are now available. As always, as part of the Fairytale Dining experience, you will have a chance to take photos with Cinderella in the castle lobby. In addition, some of the other Disney Princesses will visit with the diner during the meal.

Locker Rental Price Increase
(back to Table of Contents)

Effective November 20, 2009, the price for locker rentals at Walt Disney World increased. However, the deposit prices stayed the same. The prices are now as follows:

• Theme Parks:
  • Small locker $7 per day, plus $5 refundable deposit
  • Large locker $9 per day, plus $5 refundable deposit
• Water Parks:
  • Small locker $8 per day, plus $5 refundable deposit
  • Large locker $10 per day, plus $5 refundable deposit
• Miniature Golf locations:
  • Locker $3 per day, plus a $2 refundable deposit

Wheelchair and ECV Rental Price Increase
(back to Table of Contents)

Effective on November 20, 2009, wheelchair and Electric Convenience Vehicle (ECV) rentals prices have increased. The prices are now as follows:

• Wheelchairs:
  • Daily rentals are $12 per day
    • no deposit in theme parks
    • $100 deposit at Downtown Disney
  • Length of Stay Rentals are $10 per day
    • no deposit in theme parks
    • $100 deposit at Downtown Disney
• Electric Convenience Vehicle (ECV)
  • ECV Rental is $50 per day
    • $20 refundable deposit

Park Merchandise now available for order online!
(back to Table of Contents)

“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
(back to Table of Contents)

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!
(back to Table of Contents)

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.

Discounted Tickets
(back to Table of Contents)

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:

• Tickets and Packages Overview
  
• Magic Your Way Tickets Overview
  
• Annual Pass Overview
  
• Florida Resident Tickets
  
• 2009 Disney Ticket Prices
  
• Discounted Tickets for Disney and Other Area Attractions
  

Give the Gift of Disney Stock
(back to Table of Contents)

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!

Find the Cheapest Airfare
(back to Table of Contents)

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!

Free Nights when you book a Disney World Vacation!

Disney is once again offering a special promotion. This time you can book 4 nights and get 3 FREE or book 5 nights and get 2 FREE, depending on the Disney Resort you choose.

Moderate, Deluxe and Villa Resorts:

Book a 4-night Walt Disney World Resort Magic Your Way package with a minimum 5-day park ticket - and get 3 more nights at no additional cost.

Value Resorts:

Book a 5-night Walt Disney World Resort Magic Your Way package with a minimum 6-day park ticket - and get 2 more nights at no additional cost.

Of course, you can add the Quick-Service Dining Plan, the regular Basic Dining Plan, or the Deluxe Dining Plan for 2009 or 2010, at full price. This special package includes Magic Your Way Base Tickets, but they can be upgraded at additional cost to the Park Hopper, Water Parks & More and/or No Expiration options.

This offer is valid for most nights from January 3, 2010 through March 27, 2010. Packages are not guaranteed, they are based on availability. Also, be aware that there may be some black-out dates. The number of rooms is limited for this offer.

**You must book by 12/20/2009.**