24 Hour DisneySide Event

Special event brochure with event times and special event merchandise information

On Friday May 23, 2014 the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World (as well as both Disneyland and California Adventure in California) was open from 6 AM until 6 AM Saturday May 24. 24 Hours of Magic Kingdom attractions, food treats, and special activities. Guests were welcome to dress in costume to show their Disney Side and the theme of the night was Heroes vs. Villains. The Villains led the parade prior to the traditional showing of the Electrical Light Parade and at midnight, the classic Disney Characters were replaced at meet-n-greets with Villains. Fairytale Hall even changed over to Scarytale Hall.

Here are a few highlights from adventures in the middle of the night at the Magic Kingdom.

Special Buttons handed out at the park entrance to all guests

Cinderella in the Electrical Light Parade with guests showing their Disney Side

Green, Black, and Purple Maleficient Cake Pops

Orange Bird Caramel Apples with Steve from the Official Disney Parks Blog showing his Disney Side

Queen of Hearts strawberry layered cupcake from Cheshire Cat available year round

3:30 AM on the Jungle Cruise with a lot of devoted Disney fans

Castle Dance Party to keep the energy going all night

Frontiereland Dance Party with all the Characters in their pajamas

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Characters in the Parks: Disney Princesses

When visiting a Disney destination, it is always exciting to meet those Disney characters that you have seen on-screen or in books. The easiest way to meet characters is through character meals, and you can read more about those in my previous blog posts:

Meals with the Fab 5, Meals Fit for a Princess, and Other Character Meals. However, you can also find the characters in the parks, along with others that are not available at meals.

Over the years, the royal ranks of Disney princesses have grown, and now they can be found at every Walt Disney World theme park. Sometimes it is only a matter of knowing where to look!

Read on to find out more.

Magic Kingdom

The newest Disney princesses can be found at the Magic Kingdom, along with some classic favorite ones. They can be found in several locations, some of them well hidden.

There is a semi-permanent character greeting location for the princesses at Town Square Theater on Main Street. Here you can find several Disney princesses; the specific characters may change, so be careful about telling your little one exactly which princesses will be there. Princesses may include: Cinderella, Belle, Aurora, Snow White, and/or Rapunzel. This is a Fast Pass attraction. This greeting area will eventually be moved to Princess Fairytale Hall in the new Fantasyland.

The Fairytale Garden is an outdoor theater located on the path to the right around Cinderella Castle, as you are facing the front. This location has been the meet-and-greet area for the newest of the princesses, so it now features Mereda from Brave. While adults hold their little ones' places in line, younger guests are welcome to participate in a variety of activities such as archery lessons and coloring. Then, of course, there is an opportunity to meet Mereda!

Tiana at her Garden Glen in Liberty Square

Various other princesses can often be found in locations that correspond with their characters. Jasmine is often near the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, while Tiana can be found on Liberty Square Bridge. You can also find Ariel in her grotto in the new Fantasyland.

Epcot

Princesses can often be found in the World Showcase in Epcot, in a location pertaining to their character or story. In France, you can often find Aurora and Belle, while Snow White is often in Germany. Jasmine can be found in Morocco and Mulan in China.

Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom

Although several princesses can be seen in shows at the Hollywood Studios, you will have more luck at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot if you want to meet the princesses. However, Megara (from

Hercules

) can sometimes be found at the Sorcerer's Hat in Hollywood Studios, while Pocahontas is often found in various locations at Animal Kingdom.

General

The most important thing to remember about character greetings is that characters and locations change on a regular basis. Be very careful about guaranteeing a sighting of any specific character. Even in locations such as Town Square Theater, where some character interaction is guaranteed, there may be a change of characters between when you get your Fast Pass or enter the line, and when you actually meet the characters. Don't let this deter you, though; as long as you make no promises, it is always a magical experience!

Be sure to check character greeting times and locations on the Park Times Guide. Even princesses sometimes need a break! This Guide will give you the most accurate information for the day you are visiting. And always keep your eyes open; you never know who may stop by!

If you have a question or have seen a princess in a location not listed, please list it in the comments section!

Enter the Giveaway!

Enter my Disney gift card giveaway! The more entries we have, the more chances there are for you to win! I will give away one $25 Disney gift card for every 20 people who enter. If you comment on this post (or any other post on the blog), you can earn 2 entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a magical day!

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Overlooked Attractions: Adventureland

The prime attractions at Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom have long been the Jungle Cruise and the Pirates of the Caribbean (especially after the newest addition of Captain Jack Sparrow).

However, there are other attractions in Adventureland that are often overlooked. This post will give more information on two of those attractions in particular.

Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse

The Swiss Family Treehouse is based on the book

The Swiss Family Robinson

, written by Johann David Wyss and adapted into a Disney live-action movie in 1960. This attraction recreates in detail the treehouse built by the Robinson family in the movie version.

Kids love the treehouse because of the rope bridges and 116 steps, and the science and nature lovers enjoy the creativity of using natural elements to create the treehouse. At the top of the tree, there is a terrific view of the Jungle Cruise river and the rest of Adventureland.

It's easy to pass this attraction by because it is not a ride or a show. However, it is a very interesting sight, and highly recommended, especially for those who have read the book and/or seen the movie!

Enchanted Tiki Room

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room is now in its third incarnation at the Magic Kingdom, but is an original attraction that opened on the first day in 1971. The new show more closely resembles the original, having been shortened to about 10 minutes. In this show, audio-animatronic birds, flowers, and more sing and entertain.

This classic show is enjoyable for all ages; however, there are a few dark moments. It is a great break on a hot day, and there is very rarely a line. Fair warning: Be prepared to sing the theme song for the rest of the day!

Conclusion

Adventureland can sometimes be one of the overlooked lands in the Magic Kingdom, but there are many fun sights to explore.

What is your favorite overlooked attraction?

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Baby Time at Disney World: It Can Be Done!

Taking a baby to Disney World sounds like an insurmountable task, but you may be surprised at how many things Disney has in place to make it easier. After all, Walt Disney's dream was to build a place for families, and families have babies!

If you have a child who is old enough to enjoy Disney World, but are skeptical about going because of your younger baby or toddler, read more for tips on making it work!

Cost

Did you know that children under age 3 are free at Disney World? If your child has not yet turned 3 on your arrival date, he/she will be free for the entire stay! This includes theme park admission and all-inclusive dining experiences (though if you want to order your child a meal at a quick service or other table service restaurant, you will have to pay). In addition, your child under 3 does not contribute to the maximum room allowance at resorts, so if you have a family of 5 (and one is under 3), you can stay in a room for 4.

Baby Care Centers

Disney has Baby Care Centers at each of the four major theme parks. These centers include:

nursing areas
changing tables
high chairs
microwaves
purchase of limited selection of baby care items (formula, diapers, food, etc)
child activity areas for older children

These centers are air-conditioned, and much more comfortable than sitting in the hot sun or waiting in a restroom to take care of your baby! These Baby Care Centers saved my sanity when I took my 10-month-old!

Rider Switch

Do you want to ride Rock 'n' Roller Coaster or Space Mountain, but someone has to stay with the baby? That's what the Rider Switch is for!

Rider Switch allows one adult to stay behind with the child(ren) who do not meet the height requirement for the ride. Everyone goes to the entrance of the line together, and tells the Cast Member there that there is the need for a Rider Switch Pass. The adult staying behind gets the pass, while everyone else goes through the line and rides the ride.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios

When the first riders return, another adult stays behind and the first adult can use the Rider Switch pass to bypass the line (usually through the Fast Pass line, if there is one). The Rider Switch Pass allows up to 3 people to use the pass. My girls love this because the older 2 can ride twice: once with dad and once with me! (Please note: this is for those who do not meet the height requirement, not those who don't *want* to ride.)

Conclusion

Having a baby or toddler doesn't have to mean that you can't enjoy Disney World! It's so much fun to watch the little ones enjoy the magic. Age doesn't seem to matter at Disney World; that's one of the reasons I love it so much!

What do you think?

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