Following directly after the Launching of their newest Cruise Ship, Disney have just annouced the latest news for their NEW expansion plans at The Magic Kingdom.

They are adding an indoor roller coaster ride in the Fantasyworld sector. The “Seven Dwarfs Mine Train” will have the first of it’s kind ride system where the vechiles swing back and forwards as you proceed along the twisting mine run. The music from Snow White will play in your cab as your enter on your journey. The new developement is going to open in stages late next year and will have several new themes.

Storeybook Circus, replacing Mickey’s Toontown Fair, will allow you to go interactive with the Circus acts. The old children’s  favourite coaster ride, the Barnstormer, is to be upgraded and renamed the Great Goofini. Also, Dumbos Flying Elephant ride gets a complete new revamp. 

The planned Pixie Hollow meeting area for Fairies is now scrapped and will now be inside Hollywood Studios. However. some of the old favourites will remain, Under The Sea and Journey of the Little Mermaid have survived with new motion systems to enhance the rides.

The best new feature for us will be the Holograms of guests being shown live on Cinderellas Castle, imagine your kiddies faces beaming across The Magic Kindom. You will need to go straight to the booking booth on your arrrival to make sure you are on there!!!!

Have Fun

Mary & Larry

On-Line Booking System Now Available!

Did you know that you can now make dining reservations for Walt Disney World Dining online!   Up until now the only way you could make reservations was to phone up in advance or during your vacation.

If you visit the following site

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/restaurants/

you can then narrow your search by checking through the various parks/hotels, etc to browse the various restaurants.  If you are able to book online it will give you the “Book a Reservation” option by the chosen restaurant.  This will take you through to the next screen where you can select your date, time  and no. in party.  Once you have done this you click ”Check Availability”.  The next screen will then bring up whether there is availability, together with availability at other restaurants in the same vicinity.  Once you select your desired time you then click ”add to cart”.

Once you have added your restaurants to the cart you are advised of the total payment due today (if any) and then you “check out”.   

You will find that the majority of the bookings do not require you to make prepayment, although the very popular ones like Cinderellas Castle, Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue, etc  will require full payment at the time of booking.  

This online system is great - if you find your first date is booked, you can check another date/time immediately, saving you a lot of time.  No need to make that call to the US before you visit to make all your reservations, which in the past I have done on many occasions. 

It also gives you an idea of the cost of the meals in the various restaurants so you can plan in advance.   I also found that you can browse all the different restaurants in one place and gives you a better idea of what is available at each one. 

Effective 27 October 2009, Advanced Dining Reservations will go back to a 180 plus 10 day booking window. 

I certainly will be using this online option for my next trip and have advised all our future guests of the website.   I hope that you get to enjoy many of the restaurants in the Walt Disney Resorts by planning in advance.