The Disney Store - Magical Friday Sale Live!

The Disney Store's Magical Friday sale is now live to the general public.

Take an extra 20% off sitewide and clearance items are now an additional 50% off!  Use the code THANKS when checking out.

*Don't forget to shop through a cash back site and check for other possible discounts (i.e., D23 members, Disney Visa cardholders, etc.)!

New Disney Store Sale Codes!

The Disney Store has released some new discount codes.  Combine these with **FREE** shipping codes, D23 membership codes, and Disney Visa codes to snag some good prices for the holiday season:

• $20 off purchases of $100 or more - Use code DRVCCHEER  
• $15 off purchases of $75 or more - Use code DRVCJOY
• $10 off purchses of $50 or more - Use code DRVCMAGIC

 *All codes expire 11/23.

*Make sure you shop through a cash back site to save even more on your purchase.

The Art of Gingerbread Across Walt Disney World

From the Disney Parks Blog.  I think you will enjoy seeing (and wishing we could SMELL) the wonderful gingerbread creations at the Walt Disney World resort:

"You can smell the gingerbread as pastry chefs all across Walt Disney World Resort crank up the ovens to bake thousands of pieces of gingerbread to craft spectacular holiday creations.  From a Gingerbread Holiday Castle at Disney’s Contemporary Resort to the life-size gingerbread house in the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, here’s what you’ll find beginning Nov. 23:

 

• Already on display is the Gingerbread Holiday Castle at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, nestled in the Grand Canyon Concourse on the fourth floor, inspired by Disney’s blockbuster “Frozen” and a touch of Disney artist Mary Blair’sit’s a small world.  Adorned with sugar snowflakes, gingerbread shingles, and chocolate-coated trees, guests can spot Anna, Elsa, Olaf, and more. (Look for the 16 Hidden Olafs.)
  

• Starting Nov. 16, the biggest creation is the life-size gingerbread house in the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, made with a classic gingerbread recipe from Austria.  And every day, except Sunday, there are gingerbread house decorating demonstrations in the lobby (and a gingerbread house collectible pin featuring “Alice in Wonderland“).   This gargantuan creation is 16 feet high and uses 1,050 pounds of honey, 800 pounds of flour – and it takes more than 400 hours just to bake the gingerbread!
  
  
• The American Adventure pavilion at Epcot is an intricate re-creation of the United States Capitol Building debuting November 25 – and, new this year, the Lincoln Memorial joins the vignette.  Look for five Hidden Mickeys in the 50 pounds of gingerbread and 20 pounds of icing.
  
  
• New at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort is the “Gingerbread Academy” that lets guests build gingerbread houses to take home, along with complimentary hot chocolate and apple cider for sipping.  Cost is $125 for up to four guests.  If you prefer to decorate a gingerbread cookie, cost is $8.95 per ornament, with proceeds to benefit Give Kids the World.  And a chance to work with one of the pastry chefs to create holiday cupcakes is $10.95 per person.  Make sure to walk through the lobby to take in the beauty – and delicious scent of gingerbread houses decorated by the pastry chefs of Disney’s BoardWalk Resort.
  
  
• A 3-foot-long African-inspired Marketplace graces the lobby starting November 23 at Tusker House Restaurant in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, a creation made with 23 pounds of flour, 8 pounds of honey, 25 pounds of dark chocolate, and 5 pounds of white chocolate, just for starters.

 

• The Holiday Carousel is back at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts in the “Beach-side” lobby. Again this year, the team of chefs has crafted a life-size spinning carousel with 36 pounds of honey, 96 pounds of flour, 100 pounds of icing and more. Look for 17 Hidden Mickeys. The limited-edition collectible pin features Minnie Mouse and the carousel, and there’s also a Disney’s Beach Club Resort holiday pin featuring Donald Duck. Over on the Yacht side, check out the Holiday Village with Miniature Train surrounded by rock candy mountains.
  
  

• The Holiday Carousel is back at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts in the “Beach-side” lobby.  Again this year, the team of chefs has crafted a life-size spinning carousel with 36 pounds of honey, 96 pounds of flour, 100 pounds of icing, and more.  Look for 17 Hidden Mickeys.  The limited-edition collectible pin features Minnie Mouse and the carousel, and there’s also a Disney’s Beach Club Resort holiday pin featuring Donald Duck.  Over on the Yacht side, check out the Holiday Village with Miniature Train surrounded by rock candy mountains.

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I swear, I don't know HOW we are only going to Disney World for a quick weekend trip...it may be impossible to see and taste all the deliciousness!

Celebrate the Holiday Season at Disney Springs!

Disney Springs™ is the place to be throughout the holidays.

During this festive celebration from November 11 through Jan. 8, 2017, you can say hello to an entire winter “wanderland” of over 80 stores, including unique boutiques and name-brand shops

You can also indulge in more than ten delicious new eateries with mouthwatering cuisine from celebrity chefs and get in the holiday spirit with a spectacular variety of live entertainment with surprises around every corner -- including a sleigh full of festivities, a brand-new Christmas tree trail, and so much more!

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Have you been to the new Disney Springs yet?  I have to say that we just visited the completed area this Fall, and I am in love.

Through all my years of traveling to Walt Disney World, I have found that refurbishments and new additions never fail to amaze me!  I can't wait to visit for a quick weekend trip this December to see all the holiday "attire!"

All New Disney Nighttime SPECTACULAR at Disney's Hollywood Studios!

The all-new  “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” holiday spectacular comes to Disney’s Hollywood Studios® at Walt Disney World® Resort on Nov. 14, 2016.

Santa Claus is missing, and the search-and-rescue mission to get The Big Guy back to the North Pole in time for Christmas Eve is all part of the fun.  The show comes to life on, above, and around the Chinese Theater with state-of-the-art projections, special effects, fireworks, and a rousing seasonal musical score.

Led by elves Wayne and Lanny, the duo from ABC/Walt Disney Animation Studios’ animated special “Prep & Landing,” the spirited yuletide adventure to the North Pole features memorable holiday moments from Disney films including “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Pluto’s Christmas Tree,” “Bambi,” Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and more all building to a festive finale that’s “So tinsel!”

If you are thinking about heading to Walt Disney World this holiday season, Dreams by Design Travel can help you get there flawlessly with help making dining reservations, ride reservations, and more.  Contact them today (via the logo on our home page) for your free holiday travel quote.

Hallmark Introduces Disney Ornament Items!

Disney Ornament Stand

Have you seen some of the awesome new Disney products Hallmark has introduced?

The ornament display stand above is just one of them.  You can save $20 on it the weekend of July 12, when it will be $29.95 when you also purchase a Hallmark Disney Keepsake Ornament.

I'm not saying that's a steal, but it normally will hit you for $49.95.

Here are some other items Hallmark will be showing in July:

A Year of Disney Magic

Mickey and friends are leaving the Clubhouse and headed to Gold Crown stores.  Keepsake artists Orville Wilson, Nello Williams, and Anita Marra Rogers teamed up to bring you a whole year of your Disney favorites.   Starting in July, a different ornament from this 12-piece series will arrive every month. Scroll through to see the whole collection.

(I think this is an awesome idea; however, at almost $15 a pop [plus the display stand above], you are going to be coming out of pocket quite a bit.  You will have to really love this series [which I do] to complete the set!)

Elsa Ornament

Elsa, the Snow Queen who melted hearts in Disney's blockbuster movie “Frozen,” will be joining the 2014 collection this November!

So there you have it.  That's what Hallmark has allowed us a peek into, so far, for Disney.  Are you excited?  I know I am...now, I just wonder -- what will be left after Christmas that I can snag at 50% off?