Hello Everyone!

Happy 2010! Time to detox, destash, and de-light in planning a vacation to Disney World!! With all of this arctic air that is blasting most of the country, a little warm Florida sun sounds wonderful!

First, I say detox because we could all use a little kick in the pants to jump start a healthy diet and fitness plan. I’m sure there were lots of cookies and holiday foods in your house – goodness knows there were tons around here! If you got a Wii for Christmas and are looking for a ‘fitness’ game, we have been having a blast with the Wii Fit Plus and the EA Sports Active is on sale right now through Amazon. Or if you need a non-Wii motivator, check out this free fitness plan (sorry - shameless plug for Mike’s website!).

Secondly, destash. This simply means ridding your house of all the extra stuff that you haven’t used in a while or no longer need. Make use of ebay, craigslist, or garage sales to earn extra money to put toward your Disney vacation! You’d be surprised how the cash adds up! Now, let’s talk about all those books that take up an awful lot of space in our homes. Why not donate them to your local library or school, or trade them in at a book swap store for cash or store credit? After purging the books, you can treat yourself to a Kindle – and never have to worry about storing books ever again!

And last but certainly not least…de-light in planning a Disney vacation! If you are in the early stages of planning your trip, or don’t even know where to begin, I suggest starting with the Disney Vacation Plan Step by Step Guide and also the tips section.

So, let’s get on with it already! But…before we get to this month’s news, I’d like to get a couple of things out of the way. First, a reminder to those traveling to Disney World from now through June. Your 180 day window is now open. For those going in July 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.

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, especially Jack L. 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.

Lastly, 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! I have finally fixed the downloading problem, so if you’ve been trying to get the sheet, it is now available once again! Read more about the spreadsheet.

In this month's Disney Scoop

• Disney World News
  • Magic Kingdom Wishes Dessert Party News
  • Grad Nites Dates
  • 2010 Food and Wine Dates
  • Jedi Academy Changes
  • 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.

Magic Kingdom Wishes Dessert Party News
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As of January 3rd, 2010 the Wishes Dessert Party in the Magic Kingdom will be suspended for refurbishment. This popular event is expected to begin again sometime in the Spring.

Grad Nites Dates
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This year, Grad Nites return to the Magic Kingdom The dates for the event night are April 23-24, and April 30-May 1. There will be live performances.

The tentative schedule of live performances is as follows:

April 23-24: Paramore, Keri Hilson, All Time Low, and Quest Crew

April 30 and May 1: Boys Like Girls, Mario, Hey Monday, and Beat Freaks

If you will be visiting Disney World during these dates and are NOT planning on attending Grad Nites, be sure to plan accordingly. The Magic Kingdom Hours will be affected.

2010 Food and Wine Dates
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The 2010 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival will be held October 1 through November 14, 2010.

Jedi Academy Changes
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Changes at the Jedi Training Academy there are… (read in a Yoda voice – Ha Ha!) Anyway, the selection process for choosing Padawans to participate in the training at the Jedi Training Academy in Disney's Hollywood Studios, has changed. There is now a standby line in which children can wait to be selected for the session. They are now taken on a first-come first-served basis, instead of randomly chosen from the audience.

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.

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:

• 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
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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!

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!

Free Gift Card with a Disney World Vacation Package!

Disney is now offering a free gift card when you book a 6-day, 5-night non-discounted room and ticket package at select Disney Resorts. The gift card amount varies according to the chosen resort level.

Book a Value resort and receive a $300 Disney Gift Card.

Book a Moderate resort and receive a $500 Disney Gift Card.

Book a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort and receive a $750 Disney Gift Card.

This discount is available for most nights from 1/10 to 1/12, 1/18 to 3/27 and 4/11 to 6/3. You must book by 3/27/10. All discounts are subject to availability, and certain restrictions or blackout dates may apply.