What’s New About Star Wars at Disney’s Parks

Star Wars Awakens at Hollywood Studios

Star Wars Awakens at Hollywood Studios

Ever since Disney had acquired the Lucasfilm Franchise, expectations about the future of this most celebrated space opera keep making the headlines everywhere. In fact the discussions about new Star Wars Attractions have topped the list of all theme park speculations like never before. And I think the prospects of enjoying more of Star Wars right in the middle of the world’s happiest place or the possibilities of visiting an entire land dedicated to the iconic Franchise for that matter have changed the way we think about space adventures today. For the first time in the history of the Franchise such historic expansion is taking place. And with the plans of expansion in all possible formats (movies, animations, toys and stationeries, including theme park attractions), Disney is sure to re-define the legacy of one of the world’s most beloved space opera.

However, it’s also true that we have waited for so long on this. It has been over two years now since Disney had finalized the Deal with George Lucas, but the anticipations that followed the acquisition are yet to take shape at the world famous Parks. Part of the reason is that they are all waiting for the up-coming 2015 Star Wars sequel to take the lead. Also as per the latest revelations by Disney, and the fact that the new attractions will be based on the up-coming Star Wars sequels (such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Spinoffs) offer reasons enough for the Imagineers to wait until J.J. Abrams is all set to discuss his blockbuster plans.

Though it’s still a mystery as to where or which of the Disney Park or Parks will have the new attractions, speculations indicate that WDW’s (Walt Disney World) Hollywood Studios will be one of the most coveted places for the next big Star Wars surprise soon. In deed the long-time rumor of a new Star Wars Land is still the most happening topic of discussion among theme park fans in Orlando.

However, no-matter how long the wait is, but given the revelations there is definitely something for theme park fans to have by this year. The Force Awakens – first of the trilogy is slated to release in theaters by the end of 2015. The grand opening of the same is also seen as the ultimate revival of a genre that inspires multiple generations of fans unlike any other. Also if the reactions to the recent Teaser Trailer are to be believed then Disney is living up to its promises. And indeed there is something incredible and more interesting is taking shape out there. The Episode-VII Trailer itself seems to offer a lot in support of a new legend in the making.

Orlando theme park tickets play a major role in enhancing your vacation expenses. If you are looking for discounts on your Disney Tickets and passes to exclusive Orlando attractions and events, including discount SeaWorld and Universal Studios tickets and other special park packages you can click here to view all of our discounts www.officialticketcenter.com

Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat Gone But Not Forgotten

Today, Disney fans from around the world said goodbye to a iconic landmark in Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios. Construction crews began tearing down Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat after the park closed last night and what is to replace it is still a mystery. This 122 foot tall structure was added back in 2001 and was the center piece to guests entering the park. It served as a beacon to guests entering the park as well as a stage at time to host performances of all types. The hat was designed to showcase Mickey’s magical sorcerer’s hat for the cult classic Disney movie, “Fantasia.” To this day Disney has not said how long it will take to fully remove the hat and there has not been any word on if the hat will be moved to any other part of the Walt Disney World Resort. This removal of such a iconic symbol is just one of many that Disney Hollywood Studios has encountered over the past year like the American Idol Experience, the Legend of Jack Sparrow and most recently the Studio Backlot Tour.

At Star Wars Weekends Guests Celebrate the Culture of One of the Greatest Franchises Ever

FEEL THE FORCE: The power of the Force at Disney'sStar Wars Weekends

FEEL THE FORCE: The power of the Force at Disney'sStar Wars Weekends

The annual Star Wars Weekends event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the WDW (Walt Disney World) resort in Orlando, Florida, is more than just a theme park celebration. The popular event is not only about enjoying the favorite scenes and characters from the amazing trilogy, it is in fact a giant attempt to bring to life the culture of one of the greatest franchises ever created. Paying homage to Star Wars in such a huge and magical way is always a dream experience to me. And I think there is no other place on earth where we can celebrate the same like the way one enjoys at the annual Disney event. Thanks to the Star Wars Weekends for keeping alive the spirit of this beloved Franchise unlike any other. Continue reading

Tips for Buying Discount Disney Hopper Tickets

Is the Disney Hopper Ticket Right for You?

Is the Disney Hopper Ticket Right for You?

Have you ever been to any of Walt’s theme parks in Orlando, Florida and found yourself either wanting to see more of the other Disney theme parks or that the park you are in is just too crowded? Well you wouldn’t be alone. With all of the different tickets you can buy to see all of Walt Disney World’s world famous theme parks, the one ticket that has been the most popular has to be the famous Walt Disney World Park Hopper Ticket!

Working for the mouse for 8 years I have seen it all and the one thing that I would hear the most was how guests wish that they had bought the hopper ticket when they were planning and buying their passes. The main reason people wished they had purchased the Hopper Ticket was that they had accomplished most of what they had set out to do at a certain park and wished to go over to another park in the same day and finish the evening off at another Disney park. On some nights for example, the Animal Kingdom might close at 6pm. and the Magic Kingdom on that night might close at 12am midnight. When you have a 1 Day Base Ticket, you are closing out your night early at the Animal Kingdom. If you had spent an extra $30 to upgrade your ticket to a Hopper Ticket, you would be spending the evening at the Magic Kingdom or Epcot with everyone else being the hero of your vacation. Most people go in with the mindset that they are going to be content with just spending the day at one park, but you would be amazed at how people’s moods and energy change once they are in Walt’s parks.

The biggest advantage to buying a Park Hopper Ticket in my opinion is that if a theme park gets a little too busy for your taste and it does happen quite frequently, you have the ability to travel over to another park where the crowd is much more manageable. For instance I have personally had my own Disney Park Hopper Ticket and started out at the Magic Kingdom and by 3pm or 4pm the park was an absolute mad house. Having the Park Hopper Ticket I and my guests were able to jump on a Monorail and stop by a Disney Resort for a cold beverage on our way to Epcot. Epcot is my default park to head to for a little elbow room. Epcot also closes every night at 9pm. so it is a great park that stays open semi-late and you do not feel the crowd factor as much as you would at any other Disney park.

To add a little curve ball to this equation, you can also buy a Walt Disney World Water Park Fun & More Ticket or the Premium ticket of all tickets the Park Hopper Water Park Fun & More Ticket. Both of these tickets are Hoppers in a sense. The Water Park Fun & More ticket is NOT a Hopper ticket for theme parks i.e. Epcot, Hollywood Studios etc. but a Hopper ticket from your one theme park that you are allowed to visit in that day, to an “Optional” item of your choice. The “Optional” items are the 2 Disney Water Parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach, Disney Quest, ESPN Wide World of Sports, Disney’s Miniature Golf Courses at 2 locations or a round of golf at Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course. So for example with this ticket you could start off at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and stay until 4pm., then you could walk to the front of the park and jump on a Disney bus and go over to Typhoon Lagoon and spend the rest of the day there soaking up the evening sunshine before returning to you humble abode for the night.

Now if you had bought the Walt Disney World Park Hopper Water Park Fun & More Ticket you could do the same thing as the Water Park Fun & More ticket but now you have the ability to Park Hop between theme parks in the same day as well as Hop over to one of the “Optional” items as well. It all boils down to how much money you want to spend, how many days you are going to be here and do you want the ability to change course within you day in order to visit multiple parks. If money is tight and you do not want to visit more than 1 park within a day, or you think that you or your kids will not be able to handle this type of traveling, then stay with the Disney Base Tickets. They are a great ticket and have served many a traveler with just the right amount of Disney Pixie Dust, but if you are the type of person who can handle a little more action in you day then the adventure ticket you are seeking is definitely the Disney Park Hopper Ticket.

To purchase any of these tickets that I have mentioned at a discount, please contact The Official Ticket Center in Orlando, Florida. There are many online ticket brokers, but they are local and have an actual Guest Service location within 5 miles of Disney and other Orlando theme parks.

©Patrick Pulliam 2014

How Effective Is Disney World’s New Ride Reservation System?

Will Fastpass+ Work for You?

Will FastPass+ Work for You?

The Official Ticket Center ~ Making products and services easily accessible is an important determinant in the success of a business. And I think Disney is probably the best in capitalizing this very crucial aspect in the theme-park industry today. Being the world’s biggest entertainment conglomerate, Disney is unique in handling both its core businesses as well as the demands of fans since inception. It’s not just a source that enables you to connect with your ultimate dreams, but also understands the importance of making things available in the most hassle-free and convenient way possible. One great example of this amazing quality is the implementation of the new ride reservation system at the WDW (Walt Disney World) resort in Orlando.

Intended to provide more flexibility in the booking of favorite rides and bring improvement in the wait-times is the new Fastpass+ (FP+) system and it comes with many great promises. Unlike the legacy paper Fastpass, the ability to obtain reservations in advance becomes a reality now for all those passionate about Disney World rides. If you are staying at a Disney resort then you are good to have a reservation as early as 60 days prior to your trip.

The new Fastpass+ reservation system also puts an end to the need of visiting a Fastpass machine in person. Guests have the advantage of choosing from multiple reservation options now. Moreover, if you are a Disney resort guest you can obtain reservations right from the comfort of your home at a mouse click, or on a smart-phone or tablet while in the parks. Besides, there exist many new Fastpass+ reservation kiosks as well as staff members to assist, throughout the parks for all guests. Another great feature the new system offers is the ability to change the attractions for which you have the reservations. One can also control the return times of attractions reserved and thus eliminate the risk of losing any reservation times.

However, there are also certain speculations about the latest reservation system that suggest otherwise. It’s observed that unlike its predecessor, the new Fastpass+ program brings discrimination among guests or vacationers. There are fans not as happy since the new reservation system mostly favors a particular section of guests specially, those staying at a Disney owned resort. So chances are if you are staying offsite then you are missing some great features. Again with the old legacy Fastpass one can have the ability to obtain reservation at more than one park per day. But the same is not the case with the new system as guests are limited to obtain reservations at one park per day.

But whatever may be the speculations, the ultimate objective of the new program is to cut wait-times and bring more flexibility to ride reservations. And I believe Disney is always a champion in adding more value to our dream vacations.

For discounts on Disney World admissions and passes to exclusive Orlando attractions and events, including discount SeaWorld Orlando tickets, Universal Studios tickets and other special Orlando packages you can all us toll free at 1-877-406-4836.

Disney Star Wars Weekends

Disney Tickets

Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios

For the fans of Star Wars nothing is so exciting than what Disney Star Wars Weekends have to offer. Started in 1997, this one of a kind exclusive Disney World event is a must anticipated fantasy-fest which celebrates and brings to life the favorite actions and scenes from the Iconic film saga of all times. Every year from May through June Disney Hollywood Studios theme park becomes the most happening place to look for. During the period the Park is at its best with plenty of special and unique Star Wars activities and attractions that every fan and guest loves to celebrate and enjoy. Continue reading

Hollywood Studios Star Wars Weekends at Walt Disney World 2011

Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios 2011

Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios 2011

 While Disney Imagineers continue to help create the newest Star Tours adventure at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts, plenty of Jedi, Wookiees and droids (oh my!) are gearing up for Star Wars Weekends, the annual celebration of all-things-Star Wars at Walt Disney World Resort. Continue reading

Walt Disney World ~ Parades, Fireworks and Special Dining Parties Let Guests Ring in the New Year with Style

New Years Eve Party at the Walt Disney World Parks 2010/2011

New Years Eve Party at the Walt Disney World Parks 2010/2011

 

Walt Disney World  – Guests spending New Year’s Eve at Walt Disney World Resort can choose from fireworks extravaganzas, evening dance parties, delicious dining experiences and more as nighttime activities.  Here’s a look at what’s in store at the Vacation Kingdom on New Year’s Eve (show times and entertainment are subject to change without notice) … Continue reading

Walt Disney World Orlando Offers Sleighful of Merriment with Festive Holiday Favorites Galore

List Of Events For The Disney Parks During Christmas

List Of Events For The Disney Parks During Christmas

 

Walt Disney World Orlando ~  From a sparkling ice castle and symphony of dazzling lights … to legendary international customs and wondrous displays … to magical entertainment and musical delights, Walt Disney World Resort unwraps an enchanting celebration of the holiday season in 2010.
Continue reading

Walt Disney World Mom’s Panel:Tips For Making a Multi-Generational Vacation

Walt Disney World Mom's Panel and Very Special Tips

Walt Disney World Mom's Panel and Very Special Tips

 

One of the things I love about Walt Disney World  is that it is a wonderful destination for families with people ranging in age from 2 months to centenarians. My most cherished memory is a trip I took with four generations of Princesses that included me, my mother, my grandmother and my brand new baby daughter. Continue reading