Who doesn't love a Disney vacation? After all, it's the "Happiest Place on Earth"! So much of the Disney parks' draw is how they recall fond memories of both children and adults alike, and starting soon, there'll be even more ways to step inside your favorite Disney stories!
Walt Disney World in Orlando is in the midst of some major additions. Over the next two years, the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland is virtually doubling in size—the theme park's largest expansion ever! The first phase, called Storybook Circus, opens this year. (In fact, part of Storybook Circus opened this past March, with the rest set to debut in July.) This area will be the new home of the famous Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride as well as The Great Goofini rollercoaster, previously known as the Barnstormer.
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| Look again! After years of flying counterclockwise, the new Dumbo has now switched directions. |
The park is also adding more features of its ever-popular Disney Princesses. Many will be excited to learn that Beauty and the Beast will have its own section, filled with a number of movie-specific attractions. Belle's Cottage will house Enchanted Tales with Belle, while the Beast's Castle will contain the West Wing and 550-seat Be Our Guest Restaurant. Locales in the Village include Gaston's Tavern and Bonjour! Village Gifts. Another major new Fantasyland attraction will be Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, which lets aspiring merpeople accompany Ariel on her adventures. Visitors who would simply like to meet Disney's leading ladies will be able to do so in Princess Fairytale Hall.
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| Composite art for Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid |
Other new additions to the Walt Disney World park include the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train coaster in 2014 (Besides featuring music and animated figures of Snow White characters, the ride implements unique motion technology that mimics the sway of the track!) and the all-new Disney's Art of Animation resort. Not only will the new resort showcase films such as Finding Nemo and The Lion King, but it will also boast the Big Blue pool—at nearly 12,000 square feet, it's the biggest pool at Disney Orlando! Disney's Art of Animation will open in phases beginning late this month.
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| Composite art for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train coaster |
Walt Disney World isn't the only Disney park getting a facelift; Disneyland's Disney California Adventure debuts a number of fun new spots on June 15. Cars Land gives visitors 12 acres to explore the world of one of Disney•Pixar's most popular creations. Rides include Radiator Springs Racers, Luigi's Flying Tires, and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, while diners and shoppers will enjoy Flo's V8 Café, Ramone's House of Body Art, and Radiator Springs Curios.
Park-goers who prefer old-Hollywood style to new digital animation will also find their niche at Disney California Adventure. Buena Vista Street is a throwback the 1920s-Los Angeles that Walt Disney himself knew and loved. The Carthay Circle Theatre, which includes a lounge and restaurant, was inspired by the the theater that housed the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiere in 1937.
Lastly, Disney is adding some new options for the more adventurous travelers out there. The newly-launched Disney Fantasy sets sail from Port Canaveral in Flordia and visits ports in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Mexico, and the Bahamas. Adventures by Disney, which provides guided family tours that are both fun and educational, has added a number of new itineraries. Tours for this year have already begun visiting Greece, northern France, and Egypt, and 2013 tours will start heading to Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam).
So many Disney vacations to choose from, so little time! If you're ready to start planning your trip to any one of Disney's awesome venues, contact Agape Travel today. We'll help make those memories happen!
–Courtney Cissel
