Effective May 15, 2012  Disney Cruise Line has changed the cancellation fee period for cruises 10 days or more and cruises less than 10 days where the embark and debark is a non-U.S. port. The 50% cancellation fee period will now be calculated at 55 days prior to vacation commencement versus 44 days.

In 2012, this new Disney Cruise Line policy will impact the 14-night Hawaiian cruise and 14-night Panama Canal Repositioning cruise. In 2013, it will impact Mediterranean, Alaskan and Repositioning cruises.

For reservations made prior to May 15, 2012, the cancellation fees assessed will be based on the cancellation fees listed on the original confirmation unless the sailing date or vacation package is modified. Click here to view a complete list of Disney Cruise Line cancellation fees.

Questions about how these fees affect you?  E-mail me at christine@magicalmouseplans.com!

Christine Hardenberger (The Vacation Architect­_­­­­­­^TM) can help you navigate the travel maze.  She is an authority on Disney, Universal Studios and cruise vacations.  She has been recently featured on MSNBC’s Today Travel and Trekaroo.  Contact her at 800-272-7739 or Christine@magicalmouseplans.com and let her create a blueprint for a better vacation! 

Choosing your Walt Disney World Resort is probably the biggest decision you will make when planning your Disney vacation.  We are often asked, “Which is the best Disney resort?”  That’s a really hard question to answer.  They’re all great and they all meet different needs.  The perfect Walt Disney World resort for your family depends upon your budget, your needs and the experience you are looking to have.

Disney Value Resorts offer comfortable accommodations and fewer amenities at a bargain price.  If you think of your Disney resort as a place to sleep after spending all day at the parks, you might choose to save a little cash and book a Value Resort.

Deluxe Resorts are luxurious with top of the line features.  If you love spending time at your Disney resort, then choosing a Deluxe Resort with a fabulous pool, on-site restaurants and tons of recreational opportunities might be the way to go.

Moderate Resorts fall somewhere in the middle.  If you think you’d like a few extra amenities without breaking the bank, try a Moderate Resort.

To make choosing your Walt Disney World Resort a little easier, take a look at this chart.  It allows you to easily compare all the resort categories.

Disney Resort Category Comparison

Now, you can choose the perfect Walt Disney World Resort to make your trip magical!

Need more resort tips?  Contact me at christine@magicalmouseplans.com!

Christine Hardenberger (The Vacation Architect­_­­­­­­^TM) can help you navigate the travel maze.  She is an authority on Disney, Universal Studios and cruise vacations.  She has been recently featured on MSNBC’s Today Travel and Trekaroo.  Contact her at 800-272-7739 or Christine@magicalmouseplans.com and let her create a blueprint for a better vacation! 

Disney Cruise Line is offering an amazing military discount on select 8-Day Bahamas cruises leaving from New York!  This military discount is good for sailings on May 25th, June 2nd, June 22nd and June 30th.  Prices with the discount start at $150.00 per guest per night.  Best of all, when you sail Disney Cruise Line for 8-nights out of New York, your price includes a one-day Park Hopper ticket to Walt Disney World and free transportation to the parks.  This is included even with the military discount price!

Disney Cruise Line is perfect for military families.  It offers the perfect combination of fun, family activities and the opportunity for spouses to get some alone time to reconnect — something that military families particularly need and rarely get enough of.

On your cruise, you will enjoy visiting Port Canaveral (Disney World!) as well as Nassaue, Bahamas and Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island).  Onbaord Disney Cruise Line, you can see Broadway-caliber shows, enjoy world-class dining experiences and interact with your favorite characters.  For mom and dad, there’s adults-only dining at Palo (while the kids have a ball in the amazing kids’ clubs!), spa treatments and an adults-only pool.  Don’t forget ice-cream available all day!

Take advantage of this amazing military discount.  It’s an affordable way to have an amazing Disney Cruise Line experience and create lasting family memories.  You must book by May 20th, so act quickly!  We are ready to get you booked!

Christine Hardenberger (The Vacation Architect­_­­­­­­^TM) can help you navigate the travel maze.  She is an authority on Disney, Universal Studios and cruise vacations.  She has been recently featured on MSNBC’s Today Travel and Trekaroo.  Contact her at 800-272-7739 or Christine@magicalmouseplans.com and let her create a blueprint for a better vacation! 

House of Blues in Downtown Disney and Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba have teamed up to offer an amazing dinner-and-a-show deal!  On Tuesday through Saturday evenings May 7th – June 30th guests can enjoy a wonderful meal at House of Blues and then take in a performance of La Nouba in Category 2 seating all for one low price!  This House of Blues/La Nouba package is just $99.00 plus tax for adults (1o and up) and $85.00 plus tax for children (3-9).  When you consider that La Nouba category 2 seating alone costs $89.00 plus tax for adults and $72.00 plus tax for kids, you can see what a steal this offer is!  A complete dinner (and a yummy one at that!) for about $10 per person?  Count me in!

For your money you get:

House of Blues

Appetizer, entree, non-alcoholic drink and dessert.

Tuesday – Thursdays: Early and Late Dining available; Friday & Saturdays: Only Early Dining

Early Dining must be seated by 4:30pm. Late Dining will begin seating at 8:00pm. Dining time will be noted on the ticket.

La Nouba

Category 2 seating at one of the best shows in town!

6:00pm performances only

To pick up your dining package information and tickets, you must go to the La Nouba Box Office in Downtown Disney. Your show tickets and meal coupon for House of Blues will be in the package.

For the early Dining Package, arrive the La Nouba Box Office no later than 4:00pm. For the Late Dining Package, arrive at the La Nouba Box Office no later than 5:30pm.

This is one of those truly great deals that can be pretty hard to find in Orlando.  Don’t miss out!

To book your reservation, call 407-WDW-SEAT.  Of course, if your trip is being handled by your trusty travel agent, we will take care of it for you!

Christine Hardenberger (The Vacation Architect­_­­­­­­^TM) can help you navigate the travel maze.  She is an authority on Disney, Universal Studios and cruise vacations.  She has been recently featured on MSNBC’s Today Travel and Trekaroo.  Contact her at 800-272-7739 or Christine@magicalmouseplans.com and let her create a blueprint for a better vacation! 

Disney World isn’t a cheap vacation.  After saving for your dream trip, you may thinkyou don’t have any money left to add romantic touches.   Luckily, Disney World offers many romantic opportunities that are free or inexpensive.  These romantic ideas can really enhance your honeymoon or anniversary trip or just provide a wonderful grown-ups night out!

Here is my Top 5 List of Romantic Walt Disney World Experiences

• Have a cake delivered to one of your table service restaurants — there are several bakeries on-site that will deliver an amazing cake to your table to celebrate your special day.  Prices start at $21.00 plus tax.
• Take a carriage ride at Port Orleans Riverside – a truly romantic experience.  $45.00 for a 25-minute ride
• Grab a hammock on the beach at the Polynesian and watch the Magic Kingdom Fireworks – the music and narration is piped in so you can enjoy the full experience.  Best of all — it’s FREE!
• Take a Wishes fireworks cruise — watch the fireworks from your private pontoon boat on the Seven Seas Lagoon.  Amazing!  This one is a bit pricey at $292.00 (including snacks and non-alcoholic drinks) but it’s worth it.
• Attend the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party – get a birds’ eye view of the Wishes fireworks show from the covered Tomorrowland Terrace while sharing scrumptious desserts and coffee, tea or hot chocolate with your honey.  PhotoPass photographers are on hand to snap your picture in front of Cinderella’s Castle with no other guests in the photo!  $35.99 per person plus tax.

Any of these ideas will add a romantic touch to your Disney World trip and still leave enough left over to purchase Mickey Ears!  For a complete listing of my favorite romantic ideas at Disney World, e-mail me at christine@magicalmouseplans.com.

What is your favorite way to add a touch of romance to your Disney World vacation?

Christine Hardenberger (The Vacation Architect­_­­­­­­^TM) can help you navigate the travel maze.  She is an authority on Disney, Universal Studios and cruise vacations.  She has been recently featured on MSNBC’s Today Travel and Trekaroo.  Contact her at 800-272-7739 or Christine@magicalmouseplans.com and let her create a blueprint for a better vacation! 

Disney’s Art of Animation resort may be excluded from many Disney discounts, but if you’ve got a Disney Visa you can still save!  Use your Disney Visa card to to book your Walt Disney World vacation and save 15% at Disney’s Art of Animation resort.  This amazing new resort features standard rooms as well as comfy family suites that will sleep up to six.

At the Art of Animation you can experience what it’s like to be a character in some of the most popular and beloved Walt Disney Pictures and Disney•Pixar movies. Choose to be immersed in one of four wonderful worlds:

• Finding Nemo Family Suites
  Opening May 31, 2012
• Cars Family Suites
  Opening June 18, 2012
• The Lion King Family Suites
  Opening August 10, 2012
• The Little Mermaid Standard Rooms
  Opening September 15, 2012

Book now through 6/14/12 for travel 6/18/12 – 9/27/12 to save 15% on this amazing Art of Animation experience.  Just another perk of having a Disney Visa!

Which character will you choose to be?

Christine Hardenberger (The Vacation Architect­_­­­­­­^TM) can help you navigate the travel maze.  She is an authority on Disney, Universal Studios and cruise vacations.  She has been recently featured on MSNBC’s Today Travel and Trekaroo.  Contact her at 800-272-7739 or Christine@magicalmouseplans.com and let her create a blueprint for a better vacation! 

VOTING IS NOW OPEN!

Vote on your favorite photo in our Walt Disney World Water Park Ticket Giveaway.  Simply follow this link and comment on your favorite photo.  Each comment counts as a vote (please keep it nice!).  You may on vote once per photo.  Duplicate comments will be removed.

Voting ends Tuesday, May 15th at 5pm.  The photo with the most votes wins!  Happy Voting!

Are you dying to visit Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach?  Have a visit on us!  We are giving away 2 1-Day Disney water park tickets that will allow you to spend the day at either Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach — your choice!

Want to swim with sharks or try a water coaster?  Visit Typhoon Lagoon!  Longing to try one of the tallest and fastest waterslides in the country?  Blizzard Beach is for you!  Best of all, if you win our giveaway, you can experience all the fun for free!

So, how do you enter?  It’s easy!  Send us your favorite picture of your family having fun in the water.  It can be at a water park, in the pool, at the ocean — even in the sprinkler! Entries are due no later than 5pm Eastern on Friday, May 11, 2012.  Once all entries are received, the pictures will be posted and the voting will begin!  The picture that receives the most votes will win the tickets.  It’s that simple!

A few rules so that we are all on the same page.  By sending in a photo, you certify that you:

• Are at least 18 years of age
• Have full rights to the picture submitted (no copyrighted photos, please!)
• Agree to allow Magical Mouse Plans to publish the picture on the internet as it sees fit.
• Agree that the decision of the judges is final

Send all photos as a .JPG or .GIF attachment to The Vacation Architect at christine@magicalmouseplans.com.  You could be on your way to Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon in no time!

Christine Hardenberger (The Vacation Architect­_­­­­­­^TM) can help you navigate the travel maze.  She is an authority on Disney, Universal Studios and cruise vacations.  She has been recently featured on MSNBC’s Today Travel and Trekaroo.  Contact her at 800-272-7739 or Christine@magicalmouseplans.com and let her create a blueprint for a better vacation! 

One of my favorite parts of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival is the Eat To The Beat Concert Series.  Who doesn’t love amazing, international food in the Epcot World Showcase while listening to great music?  Sounds like vacation to me!

ove 80′s music?  Head to Epcot this September and Ocotber! The Eat To The Beat lineup is truly fantastic!

• 9/28-9/30: Night Ranger
• 10/1-10/3: Sugar Ray
• 10/4- 10/7: STARSHIP starring Mickey Thomas
• 10/8-10/10: Boyz II Men
• 10/11-10/12: Smash Mouth
• 10/13-10/14: Javier Colon, winner of “The Voice”
• 10/15-10/17: Air Supply
• 10/18-10/19: Gin Blossoms
• 10/20-10/21: Survivor
• 10/22-10/23: Hanson
• 10/24-10/25: The Pointer Sisters
• 10/26-10/28: Sister Hazel
• 10/29-10/31: Billy Ocean
• 11/1-11/2: 38 Special
• 11/3-11/4: Howard Jones LIVE
• 11/5-11/6: Blues Traveler
• 11/7-11/8: Dennis DeYoung, original member of the group STYX
• 11/9-11/11: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Best of all the Eat To The Beat concerts are free with your admission to Epcot!  Yes, you read that right.

I’ve decided to camp out in Epcot during Eat To The Beat so I won’t miss any of the shows.  I think that’s totally reasonable.  ”Sister Christian, oh the time has come…”

Christine Hardenberger (The Vacation Architect­_­­­­­­^TM) can help you navigate the travel maze.  She is an authority on Disney, Universal Studios and cruise vacations.  She has been recently featured on MSNBC’s Today Travel and Trekaroo.  Contact her at 800-272-7739 or Christine@magicalmouseplans.com and let her create a blueprint for a better vacation! 

This September the air will fill with inspirational music during the Night of Joy at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.  During this contemporary Christian music festival, guests in the Magic Kingdom can delight in live performances by music superstars across a variety of genres—including rock, pop and gospel.  It is truly a Night of Joy!

Are you ready for something new and exciting at Universal Studios?  Universal Studios Orlando promised us that this would be an extraordinary and they are off to a great start!  They’ve already revamped The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman  and added Hollywood Drive-In Golf.  Now they are adding a great new show!

Starting May 8, 2012 relive Universal Pictures most beloved films at Universal Studios  during this multi-media nighttime show that projects legendary movie clips onto cutting-edge waterfall screens. You read that right — waterfall screens!  You have to love the effects at Universal Studios.  Narrated by award-winning actor Morgan Freeman, the experience will take you on a journey through epic cinematic moments filled with heroes, horror, laughter, good, evil and triumph.

What other excitement can you look forward to?  On the horizon are Universal’s Superstar Parade, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and an interactive family water play area!  It truly is  an extraordinary time to visit Universal Studios!

What attraction do you want to see most?

Christine Hardenberger (The Vacation Architect­_­­­­­­^TM) can help you navigate the travel maze.  She is an authority on Disney, Universal Studios and cruise vacations.  Contact her at 800-272-7739 or Christine@magicalmouseplans.com and let her create a blueprint for a better vacation!