Main Street Minutes

Volume 6

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! There is no more magical time to visit Walt Disney World than during the holiday season! All the decorations, the parties, the treats, the merchandise are all just a little extra special this time of year. We at Main Street Magic have been busy trying to get all of the information out to you so you can decide how to make the most of your time in the parks.

December Main Street Magic Episodes

• Trip Review: Thanksgiving Break at Universal Orlando Resort, and Walt Disney World, Vivo Italian, and Cowfish
• Past, Present, and Future of Disney with Scott Atwood
• Our Fab Five: Underrated
• Trip Review: Akershus Breakfast, Candlelight Processional with NPH, and Luminous The Symphony of Us
• Trip Review: All-Star Resorts, a Morning at Magic Kingdom, and Lunch at The Plaza Restaurant
• Our Favorite Disney+ Holiday Movies & Shows
• Disney Prep: Disney Dining with Jon Self (Coming December 22nd)
• Trip Review: Drury Inn Disney Springs and Summer House on the Lake (Coming December 26th)
• 2023 Year in Review (Coming December 29th)

Trivia

1. What was the first Disney Holiday Special?
2. Everyone knows the ‘Partners’ statue with Walt and Mickey, but who is on a similar statue with Minnie?
3. What color are Figment’s wings?
4. What was the original name of Disney’s Animal Kingdom park?
5. What would the Californian version of Epcot have been called, had it come to fruition?

Answers to November Trivia

1. Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio
2. Snow White (1937)
3. Disneyland – Anaheim, CA 07/18/1955; Magic Kingdom – Orlando, FL 10/01/1971; EPCOT – Orlando, FL 10/01/1982; Tokyo Disneyland – Tokyo, Japan 04/15/1983; Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney MGM Studios) – Orlando, FL 05/01/1989; Euro Disney/Disneyland Paris – Paris, France 04/12/1992; Animal Kingdom – Orlando, FL 04/22/1998; California Adventure – Anaheim, CA 02/08/2001; Tokyo DisneySea – Tokyo, Japan 09/04/2001; Walt Disney Studios – Paris, France 03/16/2002; Hong Kong Disneyland – Hong Kong 09/12/2005; Shanghai Disneyland – Shanghai, China 06/16/2016
4. 1943 in Private Pluto
5. At least monthly since becoming passholders!

This Month in Disney History

• December 5, 1901: Walter Elias Disney is born to parents Elias and Flora Disney in Chicago, IL
• December 10, 1993: Living with the Land (formerly Listen to the Land) opens in Epcot
• December 15, 1973: Pirates of the Caribbean opens in Walt Disney World.
• December 15, 1966: Walt Disney passed away of lung cancer at the age of 65
• December 20, 1971: Roy O. Disney passed away of a massive brain hemorrhage
• December 21, 1958: the first Candlelight Processional debuts in Disneyland.

Upcoming Events

• Festival of the Holidays: November 24 – December 30 including the ever popular Candlelight Processional (read here for a complete list of narrators).
• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party AND the ALL NEW Jollywood Nights Christmas Party: Tickets On Sale Now! (Get your free quote)
• Festival of the Arts: January 12 – February 19, 2024. Menus have been announced and you can read all about the delicious and beautiful culinary art offerings here
• Flower and Garden Festival begins February 28th, 2024

Wonderland Crew Exclusive Events

Coming January 2024 Dates TBD

• Anyone Can Cook
• Mocktail and a Movie
• Meet-up
• Festival of the Arts Opening Weekend

Join Wonderland Crew!

Deals, Discounts, & Promos 

Stay, Play, and Dine! Receive up to $200 per night dining credit on select stays October – March. (minimum 4 night/4 day park ticket)

Kids Play and Dine for half price! When booking a room/ticket/and dining package in early 2024, children ages 3-9 receive half price park tickets and dining plans!

COMING SOON! Special Offer just for Disney+ Subscribers

HOW IS IT ALMOST 2024?!?!

There is an old saying: the days are long but the years are short. It seems as if we were just celebrating the New Year and here we are again, almost at the end of another great year! 2024 brought a lot of changes to Walt Disney World, not the least of which was the ousting of Bob Chapek and the reinstallation of Bob Iger. We have seen the addition of new rides like Tron Lightcycle Run, new restaurants like Woody’s Roundup Rodeo BBQ, and new attractions like Journey of Water Inspired by Moana. Fan favorite nighttime spectacular Happily Ever After returned to the Magic Kingdom. We also saw the closure of Splash Mountain to be re-opened in late 2024 as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.   We’ve met new characters like Figment and Moana and watched a new nighttime spectacular – Luminous, The Symphony of US!

All of these amazing additions only make the Most Magical Place on Earth even more magical!  And there is a lot more to come in 2024!  One change we are most excited about is the return of all day park hopping.  Since park hopping returned after the 2020 closure, guests with annual passes and/or park hopper tickets had to wait until 2:00pm to hop to another park.  Beginning January 9, 2024, guests will be able to hop at any time.  Also beginning January 9th, guests with date based tickets will no longer have to make park pass reservations to visit one of the Disney parks.  Annual Passholders will still have to reserve their first park of the day. But will be able to hop at any time.

One last  big change for guests visiting January 9th and after is the return of the Disney Dining Plan. Listen to episode 574 of the Main St Magic Podcast to find out if the dining plan is right for you. 

Of course, not all of the changes can be positive.  There will also be some price increases for tickets, parking, annual passes, and merchandise.  We’ve already seen some of these increases sneak in with slight increases on food and merch across the parks and more is likely coming.

Hopefully, though, the refurbishments like those at several resorts like The Boardwalk with the addition of Cake Bake Shop and Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs, will make these price increases easier to swallow.  The addition of the new Villas at Polynesian Tower, finally seeing all the walls down at Epcot after almost 5 years (!!!), updates to rides such as Star Tours and of course, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and the rumors of easier to use Genie+ all contribute to making 2024 a great time to visit Walt Disney World.  Of course we at Main St Magic think any time is a good time to visit!

In closing, we would like once again to thank all of you for listening, reading, and booking travel with Main St. Magic. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!

CAST MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Name: Cassie L.

Hometown: Longview, TX

Location/Title: Jock Lindsey’s Hanger Bar/Bartender

“I’ve always loved Disney! Even as a little girl, I said “I don’t care what I do but one day I’m going to work here.” And here I am!!! I’ve been with the company for 3.5 years and love making magic for my guests.” Most recently, Cassie was able to create a custom cocktail that is included on the holiday menu at Jock Lindsey’s.

The Holiday Cherry Cocktail is Christmas in a glass. It’s so beautiful and tasty! We had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Cassie on a recent visit and were immediately charmed by her infectious happiness. It is apparent that she enjoys her job and truly takes pleasure in getting to know her customers. Being at a Disney Springs location is ideal for someone like Cassie who can establish relationships with regulars/locals and resort guests alike. We here at Main St Magic appreciate hardworking Cast Members like Cassie and look forward to visiting with her again soon!