A Blog About Disney Stuff

Well, the hidden deal arms race appears to be in full swing now. A few weeks ago we reported on some Coronado Springs Hotwire deals in December and now, Voilà! (that’s French for Voila!) there are a whole batch of similar deals on Priceline Express.

At this time there are Express Deals for Coronado Springs every day in the month except for December 5th. The rates all seem to be a few dollars less than the Hot Rate deals – although using the Hotwire app often adds a little savings over their web site pricing.

When it comes to deals, a good technique with any service is to sign up for their email newsletters in the hopes of receiving good coupon codes. In the past, I’ve gotten some up to 15% off of Express Deals, which can add up to a pretty penny and I’ve seen some decent 5% off codes recently. Currently you can also click through the Priceline page on RetailMeNot to use their 7% off coupon.

The Nitty Gritty

To find Coronado on Priceline Express, you’ll want to look for a 3.5-star 8-guest rated resort in Bonnet Creek with 400 reviews. The only other 3.5-star resorts in that location are Caribbean Beach (321 reviews right now) and Wyndham Bonnet Creek (21 reviews). For comparison, here’s how Coronado appears in both hidden and regular deal results.

More Nitty Less Gritty

We’ve also gone the extra mile here at Touring Plans HQ and once again run a comparison of these Express Deals to the current Disney direct pricing. As you can see, even with Priceline’s additional fees tacked on these Coronado prices are a really nice savings.

All Gravy

Here’s a birds-eye view of the deals, assuming your bird understood time-based scheduling concepts.

If you have any questions, comments, or interesting bird-intelligence stories (extra points for French), let us know in the comments!

The post Priceline Express Deals: Coronado on Priceline for December appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: discounts, Resorts, Saving Money, Walt Disney World (FL), priceline

With the busy holiday season upon us, we thought it would be a good idea to share with you the best places to grab a quick bite to eat inside Magic Kingdom. Our readers have submitted over 500,000 surveys over the past two years and we have ratings for every Walt Disney World restaurant on our site and Lines app. Let’s look at the best places for quick food at Magic Kingdom.

In order of thumbs up rating:

1. Main Street Bakery 91.9% (Much Above Average)
2. Columbia Harbour House 90.3% (Much Above Average) – Temporarily Unavailable
3. The Friar’s Nook 88.5% (Above Average)
4. Casey’s Corner 87.1% (Above Average) – Temporarily Unavailable
5. Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe 85.6% (Average)
6. Pinocchio Village Haus 80.6% (Below Average)

Unfortunately, right now two of the highest rated quick dining spots in Magic Kingdom are not open. With that in mind we would recommend The Friar’s Nook and Pecos Bill Tale Tale Inn as the two best places for a quick bite to eat inside Magic Kingdom.

During the busy holiday season it is very important that you dine outside of peak hours. We would recommend using Disney’s Mobile Ordering for Pecos Bill and to do so as early as possible. When you go to view available pick up times in the app, you can select “More Times” to find all available pick up times. The earlier in the day you do this the more availability there will be.

 

Friar’s Nook in Fantasyland, another highly rated spot, does not have mobile ordering due to its size. We would recommend dining there either before 11:30 a.m. or after 2:00 p.m. Seating is limited here, and it is outdoor only. Also in Fantasyland is Pinocchio Village Haus which is not highly rated, but many guests enjoy its cute storybook setting.

During the holiday season you can heat things up with the Spice Up Your Holiday Chicken Sandwich at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café. This spicy chicken sandwich is well received and given a good review by our field team. If all you’re after is something super quick and easy then The Lunching Pad in Tomorrowland will be just the thing.

You can view listings for all Walt Disney World restaurants on the go in our Lines app. We’re in the parks every day to ensure our information and resources are as up to date and as accurate as possible.

What’s your favorite quick service option at Magic Kingdom? What’s your favorite quick snack?

The post The Best Places for Quick Food at Magic Kingdom appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Dining, Magic Kingdom, magic kingdom dining, Magic Kingdom Restaurants, magic kingdom snacks

We could always use a little more Disney magic this holiday season, yes?

This year, Disney Gift Card has plenty of options to help with your holiday shopping list! From 60+ designs available on shopDisney.com to our latest Holiday Pin Series, there’s plenty of options to choose from that allows you to gift the gift of Disney.

In September, we launched over 60 Disney Gift Card designs on shopDisney.com featuring some of your favorite characters from Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars. Now, just in time for the holidays, we have introduced two new designs available to order. The first features Mickey Mouse adorned is his festive holiday wear, ready to help Santa by placing presents under the Christmas Tree. The second card design showcases Mickey and Minnie enjoying a winter day ice skating. No matter which card you choose, your Disney Gift Card comes in a matching carrier with a space for your own personalized message.

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You can also find this holiday Mickey Mouse design at select merchandise locations throughout Walt Disney World Resort and at Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort. Your local Disney store offers this design with a coordinating envelope (subject to availability.)

Lastly, it wouldn’t be the holidays without a
Disney Gift Card Holiday Pin Series. This year, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and
Goofy celebrate the holidays in their own style on four all-new trading pins.
Each coordinating Disney Gift Card displays a winter scene: Mickey packing his
bag of presents, Minnie playing with Figaro in a snowy forest, Donald and Pluto
tugging a Santa hat between them, and Goofy oblivious to Chip and Dale playing
in the background.

The Disney Gift Card Holiday Pin Series is available at select merchandise locations throughout Walt Disney World® Resort and at Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort starting on November 17^th. Available in limited quantities, each card is sold separately, for a minimum activation of $100, and includes a complimentary Disney Trading Pin.

As always, a Disney Gift Card is redeemable for practically all things Disney and never expires. It’s a gift that’s simple for you and perfect for spreading holiday cheer. For more information on the Disney Gift Card, please visit DisneyGiftCard.com. To shop our designs online, visit shopDisney.com/buy-a-disney-gift-card/.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com

Filed Under: Disneyland Resort, Downtown Disney District, Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Gift Cards, DLR, WDW

Many guests have a tradition of visiting Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts during the holidays because of the wonderful gingerbread display and Christmas village each resort offers. This year these displays are not out, but there are still lots of beautiful decorations to enjoy.

At Beach Club the decorations are full of details that celebrate the seaside and sea life. The decorations have soft pastel tones. Sea turtles and seashells are just some of the details you’ll find. There is also a miniature gingerbread carousel in the lobby in honor of the traditionally large display.

At Yacht Club the decorations are a little masculine and sophisticated. Strong maritime themes with navy blue and metallic hues can be found here. Ships and anchors are some the details you’ll see.

Have you stayed at Disney’s Yacht Club or Disney’s Beach Club during the holiday season? Which resort is your favorite this time of year?

 

The post PHOTOS – Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts Are Decked Out for the Holidays appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Christmas, Photos and Video, Resorts, disney christmas, disney on site hotels, disney’s beach club, disney’s yacht club

This Friday, we’re continuing our #DisneyMagicMoments with a special “To The Stars edition” of Family Game Night filled with out-of-this-world surprises for the entire family. 

Beginning at 7pm ET on November, 27, you can create magical memories and have some Disney trivia fun during the “To The Stars” Disney Family Game Night. Each game, you’ll be playing for Mickey Stars – trying to collect as many as you can for a full constellation! 

Also, Ryan Seacrest  from ABC’s “American Idol”, “Live with Kelly & Ryan” and the upcoming “The Disney Holiday Singalong” will be a special guest host of this edition’s bonus round! You can watch Ryan on “The Disney Holiday Singalong” at 8|7c Monday, November 30 on ABC!

As always, we’ve gathered a few items you’ll want to have ready for game play. First, PRINT OUT a “To The Stars Edition” scorecard.

Beginning with the first game – “To Infinity and Where?” – you’ll need scorecards to play along during challenging trivia rounds that’ll test just how much you know!  

OOoooOOh, more fun awaits! 

To make Game Night extra special, we’re sharing a DIY project for the entire family.  This “Toy Story” Alien Pom Pom Garland from another universe is easy to create.  To bring the cuteness of these Aliens to your night, visit Family.com for detailed steps.

Your friends and family will also be “eternally grateful” for a delicious cup of “Toy Story” Alien hot cocoa during Game Night. The Aliens are made by dip-dyeing your favorite marshmallows similar to an Easter egg.  Family.com will show you exactly how to create this treat in just a few steps!

And as you navigate the stars on Friday night, keep a camera handy for photos capturing all the fun you’re having and send them to Mission Control using hashtag #DisneyMagicMoments.  

Check back here on the Disney Parks Blog on Nov. 27, at 7 p.m. ET for what may be our most challenging Disney Family Game Night yet.  If you’re not able to join us, the game will be available for replay on YouTube and Facebook. 

Gather your team and we’ll see you back here on Friday!  

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com

Filed Under: Uncategorized