Walt Disney World is set to announce new Royal Guest Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter resorts. These special rooms will be available for stays starting in March, 2012, 512 of these room will eventually be available for guests.

The story behind these lush rooms is that Princess Tiana from “The Princess and The Frog” invited some of her royal pals – Belle (“Beauty and the Beast”), Jasmine (“Aladdin”) and more – for a vacation getaway. Princes and princesses of all ages can enjoy their luxurious lodging quarters, which will include ornate beds that feature headboards with fiber-optic special effects, and gold and crystal accents. Guests also can enjoy artwork and special mementos left by Tiana’s royal friends.

These rooms will join the fantastic Pirate rooms at Caribbean Beach. More Specialty Rooms will be added to the collection when Disney’s Art of Animation Resort debuts in May 2012. Pricing will be similar to the pirate themed rooms at Caribbean Beach

Update May 18, 2011: Today, Disney World is showing off the new Royal Guest Rooms at WDW to press, and a few new photos and bits of information have emerged:

The Royal Guest Rooms feature gifts from the Disney princesses to the resort guests, including:

• The carpeting in the room includes a gift from Jasmine, her magic carpet.
• Jasmine has also contributed to the bathroom sinks. The faucets are gold genie lamps.
• A coat rack on the wall is a gift from Cinderella, adorned with her pumpkin carriage.
• Belle has provided her enchanted footstool for the room.
• The shower curtain has Ariel’s contribution to Tiana’s royal guest room: It is adorned with her “whozits and whatzits” from her collection, like her fork and a starfish.
• Tiana even left a special letter to all the little princes and princesses on the table in the room welcoming them and explaining many of the gifts in the room.

For more information about these wonderful new rooms, please contact our sponsor Mouseketrips.

Travel Dates: February 28 – March 3, 2011

Walt Disney World has released a new free dining discount covering a very short window of time during the fabulous ESPN the Weekend. These dates fall during the current free dining offer, but includes some great additions for no additional cost for sports fans. In order to qualify, you must check in on one of the dates listed above, your vacation can extend past March 3, but you must check in on an available date.

ESPN the Weekend Package Inclusions

• Minimum 3-nights at a select Disney Value, Moderate, Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resort hotel (standard room)
• Minimum 2-day Magic Your Way base ticket
• Free Disney Dining Plan (free Quick Service Dining plan at value resorts, free Disney Dining plan at Moderate, Deluxe and Deluxe Villa resorts)
• One ticket to the Atlanta Braves Spring Training Game against the Detroit Tigers. Game time is Thursday March 3, 2011 at 1:05pm.
• Ability to make advance reservations for seating at Mike & Mike in the Morning or The Herd with Colin Cowherd including first in line access for a Meet and Greet with Mike Golic, Mike Greenberg or Colin Cowherd after the show. Reservations for these shows will be open to the general public on February 1, 2011. Seating is limited.
• 30 Minutes of play at the PlayStation Pavilion within the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
• Ability to enter the Premiere Theater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for “inside ESPN” shows 15 minutes prior to doors opening to theme park guests.

Prices start at $611 per person based on double occupancy at a Disney World moderate resorts, 3 night stay and 4 day basic park passes. Availability is limited.

For more information or to book this special ESPN the Weekend package, please contact our great sponsor Mouseketrips, and ask for code DT2 for value resorts and code ZL3 for moderate and above resorts. You must book this special package by December 20, 2010.

Travel Dates: October 24, 2010 – October 1, 2012

Update: April 19, 2011, Walt Disney World has just announced an extension of the Armed Forces Salut Tickets to cover through October 2, 2012, along with an extension of the military discount on the Disney World resort rooms. The ticket prices will remain the same. If you purchased your allotment of tickets during the 2011 dates prior to October 1, 2011, you are eligible for additional tickets during the 2012 dates.

Update: June 12, 2011, We have just received notice that the 2012 tickets will be basically unlimited. For travel between October 1, 2011 and October 2, 2012, eligible military members will be able to purchase an unlimited number of discounted park pases. You will be limited to purchasing 6 at a time, but no limit on the total.

Walt Disney World has just announced that Active and Retired U.S. Military, including members of the U.S. Coast Guard and active members of the National Guard or Reservists, may purchase 4-Day Walt Disney World Armed Forces Salute Tickets for themselves and up to five (5) family members and/or friends from $138 each. That is a maximum total of 6 tickets that can be purchased by each military member.

There are three different ticket options available for those wanting to visit Walt Disney World:

• Walt Disney World 4 Day Military Salute Tickets with Park Hopper Option –  $138 each
• Walt Disney World 4 Day Military Salute Tickets with Water Park Fun and More Option – $138 each
• Walt Disney World 4-Day Military Salute Tickets with Park Hopper and Water Park Fun and More Options – $165 each

Please note these ticket prices do not include tax. If purchased on base or at Shades of Green, no sales tax will be charged, but tickets purchased at WDW ticket windows will incur sales tax.

The Park Hopping ticket is valid for four days of admission into the four Walt Disney World theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom Park). The Water Park and More option gives guests a total of four visits to a choice of a Disney water park, DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park or certain other attractions.

During this offer period, active or retired U.S. military personnel may make a one-time purchase of up to a maximum of six 4-Day tickets (one theme park per day) for family members (including spouse) or friends.  All tickets and options are non-transferable and must be activated and purchased by September 28, 2011. Black out dates exist for these tickets. They may not be used at all between December 27 – 31, 2010, April 17 – 23, 2011 at all Disney World theme parks, and July 4, 2011 at Magic Kingdom only.

Vouchers are available for purchase at Shades of Green and on military bases beginning October 24, 2010, tax free. You must then take the voucher to a WDW ticket window and exchange for a ticket. Tickets are also available for purchase at Disney World ticket windows, but this purchase will be taxed.

Active or Retired Military must show a valid United States Military ID card. Activated members of the National Guard or Reservists must present their orders in addition to a Military ID card. Please contact Shades of Green if you have any questions concerning eligibility.

In addition to the available Walt Disney World tickets, Disneyland will be offering $99 tickets good for 3 days at the two Disneyland theme parks. The same restrictions apply.

Information on Eligibility and Park Passes

• These tickets are for active and retired United States Military, including Coast Guard and active members of the Reserves or National Guard, and permanently disabled veterans with a valid military ID card.
• If the service member is not present to purchase vouchers/tickets, the spouse or unremarried widow may purchase up to five tickets during the validity period. Military ID required.
• The park passes may be upgraded to Seasonal Passes for Florida residents or Annual Passes, with credit toward the upgrade based on the actual price paid.
• The No Expiration option cannot be added to these tickets. No other upgrades, such as adding additional days, will be available.
• Tickets must be used by the same person on any and all days. They are not transferable.
• This offer may not be combined with any other offer.

Update 10/16/10 – WDW has released free dining for many dates in 2011!

Update 12/15/10 – New Dining Plan Brochures added including all restaurants previously included in Downtown Disney and Epcot, plus Via Napoli and La Hacienda. This should be the last update on the brochures for 2011.

Walt Disney World has announced 2011 dining plans, which include some small changes. Please find below a quick overview of all the available dining plans for Walt Disney World along with a downloadable brochure for each with more in depth information.

Please note, as you look at the brochures, many of the restaurants that will be included for 2011 are not currently listed on the brochures. This happens every year, as the agreements and contracts for non-Disney restaurants are negotiated each year when it comes to inclusion in the dining plans. As 2011 approaches, more restaurants will be included, and the list should be similar to 2010. Updates will additional restaurants or changes will be posted here.

Quick Service Dining Plan

Initially introduced in 2009, this plan has only changed slightly for 2010. The Quick Service dining plan appears to be a fantastic option for park guests who don’t want to be tied to eating at a sit down restaurant each day.

The Quick Service Dining Plan includes, per person, per night of your stay:

• Two counter service meals
• Two snacks
• One refillable resort mug

The cost of the Quick Service dining plan is $34.99 per night per adult (10 and older), and $11.99 per child (3 – 9).

Brochure: Disney World Quick Service Dining Plan

Disney Dining Plan

Not much has changed from the Disney Dining plan of 2010, except a small increase in price. Disney has also added the appetizer back, but only for kids 3 – 9. One change many people will notice is Le Cellier will switch to a signature restaurant starting March 1, 2011 for dinner only.

The Disney Dining Plan includes, per person, per night of your stay:

• One table service meal
• One counter service meal
• One snack

Please note gratuities are not included on the table service meals. Table service meals can also be used for signature restaurants, dinner shows, private dining or pizza delivery (these typically run 2 table service meals per person). More information can be found in the brochure.

The cost of the Disney dining plan is $45.99 to $47.99 per night per adult (10 and older), and $11.99 to $12.99 per child (3 – 9). The Disney Dining plan is priced based on your travel dates, and is higher priced during the following peak times:

• February 17 – 26, 2011
• March 11 – April 30, 2011
• June 3 – August 13, 2011
• December 21 – 31, 2011

It appears as though the cost of the dining plan is based on the day you check in, so if you check in one a date when the Dining plan is the cheaper price, and your vacation carries over into one of the higher priced times, you will pay the lower price for your entire stay.

Brochure: Disney Dining Plan

Disney Deluxe Dining Plan

Again, nothing has changed from the Deluxe Dining Plan of 2010, with the exception of a small price increase.

The Disney Deluxe Dining Plan includes, per person, per night of your stay:

• Three meals, which can be used for either counter service or table service meals
• Two snacks
• One resort refillable mug

The policy is the same for table service meals on the deluxe dining plan (gratuities not included, can be used for signature restaurants, etc.). If you use the meal credits towards table service meals, your meal will also include an appetizer for each person, in addition to the entree, dessert and drink.

The cost of the Disney Deluxe dining plan is $78.99 per night per adult (10 and older), and $21.99 per child (3 – 9).

Brochure: Disney Deluxe Dining Plan

Magic Your Way Premium Package

Again, very little has changed with the premium package, it now includes:

• Breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus two snacks, per person, per night. Available 100 Walt Disney World restaurants (includes tax but not gratuities, unless otherwise noted). More information is found in the brochure below
• One resort refillable mug per person
• Unlimited selected recreation, including Golf, Miniature Golf, Water Sports, Archery, Tennis, Guided Fishing Excursions, Cane Pole Fishing, Horseback Trail Rides, Pony Rides, Carriage Rides, Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides, Bike Rental and Watercraft Rental. Some restrictions may apply and advance reservations may be required, and are suggested. More information is found in the brochure
• One admission per person to Cirque du Soliel La Nouba
• Unlimited use of Disney Children’s Activity Centers
• Unlimited admission to selected theme park tours
• Preferred fireworks viewing areas for Wishes at the Magic Kingdom and IllumiNations at Epcot. (Advance reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance and voucher is required.)
• One portrait session and photo package with professions PhotoPass professionals

The cost of the Premium package is $169 per night per adult (10 and older), and $119 per child (3 – 9). That is in addition to the standard cost of a Magic Your Way package.

Brochure: Magic Your Way Premium Package

Magic Your Way Platinum Package

Similar to the premium package above, the Platinum package is the ultimate in luxury. It includes everything the premium offers, plus:

• One Disney’s Photopass CD
• Private in-room child care (4 hour minimum, 6 hour maximum, gratuity is not included)
• One selected spa treatment per person
• Fireworks cruise (one per reservation, everyone on your reservation is included)
• Reserved seating at Fantasmic! (one per person)
• Nightly turn-down service
• Personalized pre-arrival itinerary planning
• Richard Petty Drive along experience
• Exclusive keepsake (one per room)

The cost of the Platinum package is $229 per night per adult (10 and older), and $160 per child (3 – 9). That is in addition to the standard cost of a Magic Your Way package.

Brochure: Magic Your Way Platinum Package

Disney Wine and Dine Plan

The Wine and Dine plan is available to add to any of the above dining plan options, with the exception of the Quick Service dining plan. The Wine and Dine option includes one bottle of wine per night of your stay, and can be used at most table service and signature service restaurants in Walt Disney World. The cost is $39.99 per night of your stay (price is per reservation, not per person).

Brochure: Disney Wine and Dine

For all of the packages above, there are a few things to remember:

• Everyone in your room must be on the same dining plan/package
• Dining plan credits expire at midnight the day you check out
• Dining plan credits are based on the number of nights you stay
• Dining plan credits and park passes are not transferable

Travel Dates: March 14 – October 2, 2010

Disney VISA and debit cardholders only. When you purchase a Magic Your Way Vacation package that includes your Disney resort room, Disney theme Park tickets and a Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan for stays most nights between March 14, 2010 – October 2, 2010, a child 3 – 9 can stay, get 5-day Theme Park tickets and the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan, FREE!

Please note that on April 25, this offer was extended to cover dates through October 2, 2010.

There are a couple requirements to receive this package:

• Child must stay in room with adult.
• Maximum of four Guests per room. (one child free with each paying adult)
• Stays must be a minimum of 3 nights, but can be as long as 14 nights
• At least a one day basic park pass must be included in the package, your tickets can be as long as 10 days.
• Quick Service Dining is included free, but you can upgrade to the Disney Dining or Deluxe Disney Dining by paying the price difference
• You must pay the $200 deposit with your Disney VISA/debit card at time of booking

The number of packages available at this rate is limited. Tickets are for one Disney theme Park per day and must be used within 14 days of first use. The hopping or water park add-ons can be included in the package, but the add-ons for the kids are not free.

This discount is available at all Disney resorts, and is subject to availability. You must pay the $200 deposit at time of booking with your Disney card. For reservations traveling within 45 days of booking, the full amount of the trip will be due at time of booking.

Please note this discount is not combinable with any other discount. If you are currently booked with the gift card or any other discount, it is very unlikely this will be a better deal for you. The only exception would be at the value resorts, and some stays at a moderate resort. Definitely worth checking though, especially if you have 2 kids between 3 and 9.

For more information about this great Disney VISA discount, please contact our fantastic sponsor Mouseketrips and ask for code OD3. You must book this reservation by June 30, 2010.

This is a bit of a detour, away from the Disney Discounts and deals we normally feature, but I thought this would be of interest to you none the less. Bay Lake Tower is Disney’s newest resort, located at the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World. I recently had the opportunity to stay there for 11 nights, from February 28 – March 11, 2010. Due  to a mixup with booking, flights, DVC points, money and other factors, we ended up with 2 Bay Lake view studios our first night, then a standard view 2 bedroom villa for the last 10 nights.

Here are my initial views of the resort, I will update them once our vacation has ended:

What I love

The Layout – I love that the bedrooms are small, and most of the 2 bedroom villa’s space was put into the living room area. All of our awake time in the villa is spent in the living room, it sure is nice to have the extra space, the bedrooms are pretty small, but who cares when you are asleep.

The third bathroom – With 5 kids (3 boys, 2 girls), the three full bathrooms have been fantastic. Parents get their own, then one for boys, one for girls. Perfect. All large enough to be functional bathrooms, best idea DVC has had in years.

The decor - The rooms and resort are beautiful. Clean, well done, they feel very upscale. I love the sliding doors on the bathrooms. I could live here. I don’t think I could say that about any other DVC resort.

The view – As mentioned above, we have a standard view villa. Our view is actually of Bay Lake, facing North. From our balconies we can easily see the Magic Kingdom, which is wonderful at night. I am happy we did not pay for the more expensive views. Compared to other DVC resorts, this standard view blows away any other view at any other DVC resort.

What I like

The location – I am a huge fan of the Beach Club Villas, where we usually stay. I love the location there. Of our 10 nights with dining reservations, 7 of them are in the Epcot area. We have found that doing one of the other three parks during the day, then Epcot at night for diner, works best for us, so Beach Club gives us nearly instant access to our home after we are done in Epcot. The monorail is nice, but we have found it is much quicker to walk from here to the Magic Kingdom, and the monorail to Epcot takes forever, as you have to wait for 2 separate monorails. Bus service to everywhere else is adequate. Unless you are spending all your time in the Magic Kingdom, I don’t see the location as an advantage here (nor a disadvantage).

The Contemporary – I like the Contemporary as a hotel, very nice looking inside, plenty of amenities and options, not too far of a walk from the villa. I prefer the villas associated with one of the deluxe hotels, they seem to offer a better experience.

The dedicated Bay Lake Tower Pool – Nice to see Disney recognize that the villas are resorts too, and deserve their own pool. Both Bay Lake and the new Kidani at Animal Kingdom Lodge have their own pools, separate from the resort pool. The Bay Lake pool is nice, nice slide, and only accessible to Bay Lake guests, unless you walk the long way around and have someone get you into the gate. As far as pools go, it is fine, nothing to pool hop about.

What I don’t like

Dining options – I like the proximity and access to the Contemporary, but there is a severe lack of decent food options here. Of course, California Grill is great, but Chef Mickey’s isn’t my favorite, and not really a place you can eat each day. Contempo Cafe is horrible, a step below theme park food. Really a disappointment. The Wave is very good too, just wish there was a food court/quick service type place here that had decent food. The market is a disappointment as well, kind of an after thought in a corner once they built the villas.

Top of the World Lounge – The one thing Bay Lake has going for it that no other DVC resort will have ever is the proximity to the Magic Kingdom, and the view it creates from the top floor. You feel right on top of the Magic Kingdom, like you are looking down from a hot air ballon. I love the view, especially at night, just fantastic. I was very disappointed in the actual lounge, just seemed very unfriendly place, especially for kids. I think Disney really missed here, would be a great place for a nice restaurant or something special for DVC members.

The doors – Now, I mentioned above I love the decor, and the doors in particular are fantastic. The problem is that none of them lock. The only door I have found in the entire villa that locks is the master bedroom door. None of the bathroom doors, including the one off of the kitchen, lock. They are wonderful sliding doors, very cool looking, but the fact that there isn’t any way to lock them, is a bit crazy.

The studios – As mentioned above, we had 2 studios the first night of our stay. They are tiny. Good, if they are the second bedroom in a 2 bedroom villa, bad if it is your only room. Because of the way the kitchenette is laid out, the sleeping area is small, just big enough for the queen bed and the couch. They feel much smaller than the rooms at the value resorts, and are not a replacement for a room in the Contemporary. They would work well for 2 adults, but anything more than that, you will be cramped. The studios are only about 300 square feet, the rooms in the Contemporary are over 450 square feet.

Would I stay here again?

Absolutely. I have stayed at every DVC resort currently open except for Kidani and the new Grand Californian (later this year). Bay Lake is my favorite resort of them all, as far as the rooms go. Whether we stay here or not will depend on if we can get a standard view villa, which is roughly the same price as a villa at Beach Club Villas. I definitely would not pay more than Beach Club Villas to stay here, if both were available.

Travel Dates: January 4 – May 25, 2010

Walt Disney World has introduced a new Florida resident 4 day pass, entitled the Dream Pass. For $99 per person plus tax ($84 for children 3 – 9), you get a 4 day basic park pass to use at the four Disney theme parks. The park passes are base tickets, so one theme park per day. Hopping and the Water Park Fun and more options can be added to the tickets for $26 per person per add-on (the hopping would be $26, the water parks, $26.).

The tickets expire May 25, 2010, so you can make multiple trips over a few months on one pass. There are black out dates between March 27 and April 9, 2010 the park passes are not good at any of the Disney parks those dates. Dream passes must be purchased by May 21, 2010.

Proof of Florida residency required at time of purchase and activation. For more information, please see the Disney Dream Pass page. Disney World is also offering FL Resident room only discounts for this time period as well.

Walt Disney World launched the long awaited online reservation system for dining reservations. Originally due in 2008, it was launched late last night, currently for Travel Agents only. No indication was given when the tool will be made available to the general public, but my guess is 2 weeks of testing should do. Currently, only reservations May 26, 2009 and after are available in the system, so the logical launch date would be May 26, 2009. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Step 1

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Once accessed, you will see a front page, with a search box, along with options to see all Disney Restaurants, Dinner Shows and Dining Events. The search box is active, as you type, options come up below that you can click on. It is fairly easy to find a restaurant. A search for “Epcot” brings up all Epcot restaurants, including others in the general area. You can also search for character dining, or princess or whatever, it should bring up options for you. Once you find the restaurant you are looking for, just click on the link.

Step 2

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Once you click on the link for your restaurant, you will be taken to a page with information about the restaurant, including location, cuisine type, special dining events at that restaurant, etc.

At this point, you will be able to retrieve your WDW reservation, and attach it to any dining reservations you make. It pulls in the information about dates, resort, names and dining plan. It does not keep track of dining plan credits, number of people in your party, etc. Associating your reservation does not limit how you many reservations you can make, or for how many people, it just links all the information together.

Below, there is a window with dining options. There is a date box, where you input your dining date. You can also search up to 5 days in a row, which is very convenient if your dining wishes are flexible. You then input your dining party and preferred time. Once all your information in there is correct, just push the “Check Availability” button and away you go.

Step 3

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They system will now search for availability for your preferred restaurant, day and time. You will be presented with the closest option available for your party size at your restaurant. You may also be presented with different restaurant or time options, if your first option is not available. When searching for 1900 Park Fare, nothing was available, but I was presented with both the Princess Storybook Dinner in Epcot and Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom as options for my reservation. When you are able to find the restaurant with the date and time you feel comfortable with, you add them to the cart, just like you were shopping on Amazon.

Step 4

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Once your restaurant is added to the cart, you are given the option to add any dietary requests you have, including allergies, etc. Once completed, you can then search for more restaurants. You can make up to 10 reservations at one time. Once you have added all your times to the cart, you check out. If no credit card is required, the check out takes about 10 seconds, just put in your name and email address, all the information will be emailed directly to you. Some restaurants require a credit card guarantee, or in the case of Dinner shows, full payment is required at time of booking, so you will have to go through another step of inputing your billing information, but again, that process is fairly quick.

The entire process is very simple to use, though a bit slow at the moment. I made 2 dining reservations for June, it took about 15 minutes total of finding exactly what I wanted. I am hoping that before this is launched to the public that some changes will be made to make the process a bit quicker and easier to use. Overall, it works really well, I was pleasantly surprised with version 1.