Starting June 29th Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom will be teeming with more pirates than ever before. Jack Sparrow and his mates will be transforming mild mannered vacationers into full fledged pirates

Disney World is adding a new immersive experience called The Pirates League, for those who felt left out when your “little princess” went to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

There will now be an opportunity to become a pirate that is open to boys, girls, and grown-ups. For anyone who heard their calling during the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and movies here is your chance to join the crew of the Black Pearl.

The process starts at the recruitment office where you receive your official pirate name. Then you will head to the Muster Station where the transformation takes place as beards, eye patches, scarves, scars, earrings, and gold teeth are applied. After you look like a pirate you will pass through a hidden portal and into the treasure cache. Here you will recite the pirate oath and have your official “pirate portrait” taken.

Then you will take your new pirate self out into Adventureland in order to seek your fortunes (and speak like a pirate saying words like: Shiver me timbers, and Arrrrg! until you drive everyone crazy).

The Pirates League will be located next to the entrance to the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.

According to the Orlando Sentinel there will be 3 different packages available for would be pirates:

• First Mate Package ($49.95): bandana, choice of facial effects, sword and sheath, pirate coin necklace, 5x7 photo and a "personalized pirate oath."
• Empress Package ($49.95): bandana, "shimmering" makeup, sword and sheath, pirate coin necklace, 5x7 photo and a "personalized pirate oath."
• Captains Package ($124.95): choice of costume, facial effects, sword and sheath, pirate coin necklace, three 5x7 photos and the personalized oath.
  
  

Reservations

Like the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, reservations will be taken ahead of time. You can start making reservations by calling 407/WDW-CREW beginning May 11th.

When flying to Orlando for your Disney World Vacation, one of the important details to figure out is how are you going to get from the Orlando Airport to the Walt Disney World Resort.


This is not a decision to take lightly. You could:

• Rent a Car - This is an expensive option, especially if you planned on staying on the Disney Property for the duration of the trip. You will find that you are paying for the car to sit idle most of your trip and it is not really necessary.


• Take the Mears Shuttle - This option could get very expensive as you will have to pay per person. Any group more than two makes this an expensive option.
  
• Rent a Towncar - We like this option as there are several reputable firms in Orlando that do a nice job of shuttling people to and from the Airport to their Disney Resorts.
  
  All of the these options cost real money and become an expense that you have to include as part of your trip budgeting process.
  

Then Disney World introduced the Magical Express concept.

This is a wonderful idea that eliminates a big expense for those who want to fly to get to Disney World. Disney benefits by creating a more captive audience for the duration of their vacation.

Here's how it works:

• Once you make your airline reservations, you call Disney World and have them add this information to your resort reservation.
• About 4-6 weeks prior to your trip you will receive a packet in the mail that includes an information booklet with your Magical Express tickets and a set of special luggage tags.
• When it is time for your trip place one luggage tag on each piece of luggage and check them at the airport like you would normally do. You do not need to tell the airline that you are going to Disney World or give them any special information.
• When you arrive at the Orlando Airport (MCO), follow the directions in the booklet to the B side of the main terminal on Level 1. There you will find a Disney Magical Express Counter.
• Give them your booklet and they will pull up your reservation.
• You will then proceed to the bus line and be told which bus to board.
• The bus will then take you to your resort. In route it will play an informational video about Walt Disney World and Magical Express.
• Check in to your resort.
• Go off to the parks or whatever you choose to do. In a couple of hours the bags that you checked will magically be delivered to your room. (You do not need to be there!).
  

It's just that easy! No stress, no visiting the baggage claim area, no lugging bags around the resort, and no need to tip anyone! It all happens behinds the scenes magically.

The day before you depart, you will receive an envelope delivered to your room that tells you the information you need to return to the airport. Usually your bus will depart 3 hours before your plane is scheduled to take off.

When you are ready to return home, depending upon the airline you may be able to get your boarding passes at your resort before you leave. Before the airline added these "checked bag fees" Disney would even check your bags at the resort, so you wouldn't have to handle them any further.

Now in most cases you will have to claim your bag after your bus arrives at the airport and check it the old fashioned way and pay any necessary fees.

The Bottom Line is that this is a great FREE service that Disney World offers and it really makes a difference when you are trying to keep to a budget. You if you haven't tried it yet, make sure that you do.

The Disney Dining Plan continues to increase in popularity for people who are vacationing at the Walt Disney World Resort. Whether you are paying full price for the Dining Plan or you are taking advantage of the current Free Dining Package promotion, you want to maximize the value of what you get. This article will tell you how to do just that.

For those of you not as familiar with the Disney Dining Plan ( DDP ) let’s start with a brief explanation. The basic DDP includes one table service meal ( entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage), one counter service meal ( one entrée or combo meal, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage), and one snack ( wide variety of food items available all over Disney World that cost $4.00 or less). The adult (ages 10+ ) cost of the Dining Plan is $39.99 per day. The child (ages 3-9) cost of the plan is $10.99. During the meals you may order anything you want off of the normal menus at the Table Service and Counter Service restaurants, with very few exceptions.

The key to getting your money’s worth is to maximize the value of the restaurants that you visit and the items that you choose to eat. Your choices will determine whether the Dining Plan is a good deal or not.

By choosing the right Table Service Restaurants on your trips, you can pretty much guarantee that you will get a great deal. ( Note: we will only list restaurants that require just 1 dining credit per meal for this ranking.)

Without further ado:

Only WDWorld’s Top 7 Disney Dining Plan Table Service Restaurants (in reverse order)

7. Tony’s Town Square – This full menu sit down restaurant that is located within the Magic Kingdom is patterned after the Italian restaurant that you see in the classic animated film Lady and the Tramp. If you are lucky, you may be able to watch part of the Spectromagic Parade while you eat. It made the list due to its menu choices and location within the Magic Kingdom.

6. Chef Mickey’s – Only 2 buffets make the Top 7 and both include Disney Characters. This family favorite located at the Contemporary Resort ranks especially high on the must do list if you have young children, as Mickey Mouse himself is present along with several of his friends. Not only do you get an above average buffet meal, but you get personal interaction with each of the characters as they make their rounds to each table. Excellent photo opportunities and character meeting time.

5. 1900 Park Fare – This buffet meal includes a visit from Cinderella and Prince Charming. Although this isn’t quite the same as eating in Cinderella’s Castle, the Grand Floridian is a gorgeous resort and eating here gives you an excuse to check it out. The buffet is better than average, but the real reason to come here is to see and meet Cinderella.

4. Tutto Italia – This Italian restaurant located within the World Showcase of Epcot has wonderful homemade pastas and entrée selections. It is very pricey if you are not on the Dining Plan. While on the Dining Plan you are able to ignore the menu prices and eat whatever you wish to try. This allows you to relax and truly enjoy the meal.

3. Coral Reef – A unique restaurant situated in the Living Seas Pavilion in Epcot. An entire wall of the restaurant is glass and allows you to see into the main tank of the Living Seas. The feeling is upscale and the menu includes steak and seafood choices. Again forget the prices and eat whatever you are in the mood to try. Excellent dessert choices top off this must do dining experience.

2. Les Chefs de France – You feel like you are transported to Paris to enjoy this dining experience within the France portion of Epcot. A varied menu gives you many choices including: Beef, Seafood, Chicken, Lamb, Duck, and Vegetarian dishes. This restaurant suits families or romantic meals for two. Another wonderful meal will be had if you choose to eat here.

1. Le Cellier – Within the Canada section of Epcot you will find the crown jewel of theme park restaurants. This cozy restaurant will not disappoint. Its specialties include steaks, but you could also get plank grilled salmon or one of several other entrees. The desserts are also something to look forward to. Unfortunately the secret is out and reservations are hard to come by. You definitely need to make reservations well ahead of time if you want to eat here. This is my family’s favorite and I highly recommend it.

Get the most out of the Dining Plan
Utilize these Only WDWorld Top 7 restaurants to help you get the most out of your Dining Plan Experience.

If you need tips on choosing counter service restaurants: Disney Dining Plan – Maximizing Counter Service Credits

For Dining Plan Snack tips: Disney Dining Dilemma – Maximizing the Snack Credits

Get the most out of the Dining Plan, but also use it to take some of the stress out of dining at Disney World by allowing you to ignore the menu prices and let your family eat whatever they want!

2009’s installment of Star Wars Weekends is not that far away. The festival runs on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for four consecutive weekends starting May 22nd through June 14th.

Earlier we posted articles about The Stars that will be part of Star Wars Weekends ( SWW ). There is also an article about The Parade that occurs each day of the event.

Now it’s time to discuss the other activities that go on during those four fun filled weekends.
















Star Wars Characters Everywhere!
Everywhere you look there will be Star Wars characters. It starts right at the entrance gate to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Here it is not unusual to find some Stormtroopers patrolling the rooftops. If you get to the park right at opening they usually put on a short performance that is fun to watch with humorous banter.





















Once inside the park you will see Star Wars characters roaming about. They are great about posing for pictures with you. The lesser known characters will be roaming around, while the more noted characters, such as Queen Amadala and Darth Vader will be set up in specific areas where long lines may form.
















Bring your cameras, because there are a lot of photo opportunities throughout the park. You can pose with characters or choose one of the many Star Wars backdrops that are set up to make you part of the movie.

















Jedi Training Academy
One of the favorite activities is the Jedi Training Academy that is held several times per day at a special stage set up near the Star Tours attraction. Here young padawans are chosen from the audience to take part in light saber training. After their brief training, each will get a brief chance to face off against none other than Darth Vader himself.

















Behind the Force
This special activity is held in a theater where people involved with the making of the Star Wars movies talk and show clips that take you behind the scenes. You will see how things were done and gain more fun insight concerning the movies.

Last year a special preview of the animated movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars was shown before the movie was released. This was the only place that you could see this special clip of the upcoming movie.

This year the actress that provides the voice for Ahsoka of the Clone Wars, Ashley Eckstein, is hosting the event.
















Interviews
Each day a special talk show format interview takes place in a theater where the host for the events, in this case Jay Laga’aia (Captain Typho) will interview the special guest stars that are there that particular weekend. Here you get a chance to hear what it was like to be part of making these classic movies from the people that made them. You will find out that many of the actors are also fans of the Star Wars movies.
















Souvenirs
Each year there is a special Souvenir shop set up with lots of special Stars Wars Weekends merchandise that is only available during the event. This includes limited edition pins & figurines, special T-shirts, posters, and numerous Star Wars items. They have used the name Jabba’s Hut and Wicket’s Warehouse in years past for this special shop.

Hyperspace Hoopla
At the end of each day there is a closing Star Wars Hyperspace Hoopla to wrap up the day on a high note. How can anything called Hyperspace Hoopla not be fun? This is a stage show with singing, dancing, silly Star Wars jokes and plenty of Star Wars characters. A great way to cap off your Star Wars filled day.

Make Plans To Be There!
Star Wars Weekends is fun! Whether you are a Star Wars fan or not, these weekends add even more fun to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. All of the events and activities mentioned are free with your admission to the park. You may even dress as your favorite Star Wars character if you wish. Many fans do attend in costume.

Don’t forget to check out: http://www.starwarsweekends.net/ for more information about this great event. This is an unofficial site, but it has great information about the upcoming 2009 SWW and information from past years as well.

So whether you favor the Sith or the Jedi, grab your light saber and make plans to attend one of the best annual festivals that Disney World has to offer.

As the 2009 version of Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios approaches (May 22 - June 14), let's take a look at one of the highlights of each day: The Parade.

Each day a parade of the Star Wars Characters and distinguished guests is held. This parade is definitely not to be missed.














Even Mickey Mouse participates in Star Wars Weekends by transforming himself into Jedi Mickey.

If you are lucky you will be there on a day that the Florida 501st Garrison is there and marches along with the parade.














What is the 501st Garrison (http://www.501st.com/ )?















For the Star Wars fanatics there are groups around the world that create their own costumes and gather to celebrate the phenomena that is Star Wars.














The Florida Garrison (http://www.fl501st.com/ ) is very impressive and really adds to the parade. The people pictured here are not Disney Cast Members, but rather Star Wars fans who participate in the Star Wars Weekends each year. They design and make their own costumes based upon characters from the movies.












You can see the detail that they put into their costumes. Notice the dirt and stains added to make these Storm Troopers look like they've really been through some tough battles.

After the 501st Garrison then you will see all of your favorite Star Wars characters participate in the parade. You will see Wookies, Ewoks, Tuscan Raiders, Bounty Hunters, Droids, and don't forget the Evil Darth Vader or Darth Maul.




























You will also see the guest stars for the weekend participating in the parade. This is a picture of Kenny Baker, better known as the actor who was inside R2D2.


It is always enjoyable to get to see all of these Star Wars Characters together at one time.

Later, most of these characters are available around the park for photo opportunities.

If you enjoyed the Star Wars movies, then you will not want to miss Stars Wars Weekends (Friday, Saturday, & Sunday) when you visit Walt Disney World this May - June.

1. Planning ahead is your best defense.
2. Choose your sit down restaurants well in advance a make reservations as close to the 90 day prior mark that you can.
3. For the counter service locations, avoid the busiest time of day, especially the places that are in high traffic areas. Find a place a little off the main path and the crowds diminish greatly.

The base of the ride itself was designed to look like a 1950's era tin toy top. If you look closely at the ride the next time you are at the Animal Kingdom, you will be able to notice this.

This is a ride for all ages. It is not scary, but certainly can be a thrill for the younger visitors. For the adults, it can be a relaxing break that affords good views of the area as the 4 person Triceratop ride vehicles rise to their peak height.

Although it does not provide the heart stopping thrills of Expedition Everest or Dinosaur, the Triceratop Spin still should be on your list of attractions to experience at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

A new feature has been added to Only WDWorld to make finding the information concerning Disney World ticketing even easier.

A separate page with the key information, like explanation of the Magic Your Way Ticket system and all of its Options, always at the top of the page. Up to date pricing tables from the Walt Disney World Resort are also easily found in this new format.

The page has a focused set of Labels in the right hand column to further make finding the Ticket Related information you need, easier than ever.

The new page can be found by clicking here: Only WDWorld Tickets: Fact Page

There is also a permanent link in the left hand column on the Only WDWorld main page.

Ticketing Topics that you will find on this page now include:

• Explanation of the Magic Your Way (MYW) Ticket System


• MYW Base Ticket entitlements and complete pricing table for adults and children.


• MYW Option descriptions and complete pricing table for adults and children.


• Annual Pass descriptions, entitlements, and current prices.


• Water Park ticket options, descriptions, and current prices.


• Ticket Upgrading


• Florida Resident Ticketing options and current prices.

The page will be updated as changes are made, and/or new options are available. Information for getting the best deal for buying tickets will also be linked to this page.

I hope that you will enjoy this new feature. Only WDWorld will continue to be a blog based site providing entertaining and useful information to help you plan your Walt Disney World Resort trips, learn interesting facts about the parks and attractions, and most importantly save money. This separate page will make it easier to find the important reference information.

In the future similar pages are planned to be added for topics such as the Disney Dining Plan.