Here, There be Dragons......

 In news that is sweeping the Disney fan base by storm, it seems as through dragons are headed to New Fantasyland.  On the tumblr disneydragons.tumblr.com, our dragon obsessed friend Gary (who happens to write for the Disney Parks blog as well) has been posting some pretty interesting pictures and video.  These seem to suggest that the current location of New Fantasyland was once home to a dragon.  Now, apparently, that dragon may be responsible for some interesting noises and fire coming from the areas around New Fantasyland.

Hmm....a dragon egg on Disney property? (Image from disneydragons.tumblr.com)

I have to admit that, even though the suspense is killing me, I am truly enjoying this little campaign Disney has going on here.  Its creative and much more fun than just posting on the blog "Bam, we have a dragon!"  But I can't help but wonder just what Disney has up their sleeves with this.  I'm going to share a few theories with you, and I'd love to know what  you all think, too!

New Nighttime Spectacular?

The flying dragon Disney was testing in California (image property of Tammy Zaninovich)

Despite Disney's best efforts to convince us otherwise, we can believe with a reasonable amount of certainty that the dragon in question will be a version of the flying dragon Disney was testing in California a few months ago.  Looking at the design, I can't imagine Disney would use this during the day.  That parachute would ruin the magic in broad daylight.  This leads me to believe that the dragon's place will be in a new nighttime show, possibly called Believe in Fantasy (explaining the title of the tumblr page).  Disney has a press event scheduled on December 7th, the day after the grand opening of New Fantasyland, and I think its very possible that a replacement for Wishes! could be announced at this event.

One Time Event?

The other, more upsetting but perhaps also more likely possibility, is that the dragon will make a one time appearance, either at the grand opening of New Fantasyland or at the press release on the 7th.  While this certainly seems possible from a budgeting standpoint (a new nighttime spectacular would be costly), I can't imagine Disney putting this much PR effort into something that very few people would actually see in person.  The hype around this seems too big to be a one time thing.

Another Ride We Don't Know About?

This one is probably the least likely of the theories being discussed on a number of fan websites, but some have suggested that maybe Disney has been keeping a huge secret from everyone.  Maybe the dragon in question isn't the flying creature we saw before, but part of a new experience that Disney has been able to keep a secret from all of us.  It wouldn't be the first time Disney has had us fooled until the last minute (Avatar, Lucasfilms).  But where would such an experience go?  And, with no visible work on such construction, when would it be open?

Those are some of the theories on the possible identity and use of the mysterious dragon of New Fantasyland.  What are your theories?  Are you intrigued by the new campaign?

Trip Planning Tip, Disney Dining Plan Edition: Last Minute Reservations

Well, free dining plan season is almost upon us.  Have you booked a free dining plan?  Are you having trouble filling up some of your reservations?  Try some of these spots, they usually have reservations available at the last minute (which does not speak negatively about the food!)

Seeing "the World" Tip 3.5: Epcot Really is for Kids, Part 2

Nighttime at the World Showcase

Welcome back to Seeing "the World."  In the last entry, we talked about kid friendly activities in the Future World half of Epcot.  This time, we're covering The World Showcase, including looks at the Agent P World Showcase Adventure, the Duffy the Disney Bear Kidcot activity, and the World Showcase Passport activity.

Trip Planning Tip: Reservations STRONGLY Recommended

Apologies for the super long delay (again) my loyal readers, but I'm back!  Hopefully more permanantly this time.....

When planning a Walt Disney World vacation, it is important to give some thought to dining reservations.  Do you plan on eating at any of the restaurants on property?  If so, dining reservations can be made as early as 180 days in advance (don't worry, you can cancel up to 48 hours prior at almost all restaurants without penalty).  I know what you might be thinking, 180 days is a long way out to be planning where you're going to eat.  But for some restaurants, if you don't call the first day you can, you may as well forget about getting a reservation.

Seeing "the World" Tip #3: Epcot Really is for Kids! (Part 1 - Future World)

The 21st Century Begins.....

Epcot...Walt Disney World's second theme park opened on October 1, 1982, exactly 11 years after the Magic Kingdom first opened its gates.  Since then, the park has been beloved by many adults, but has never replaced the Magic Kingdom as the most popular Walt Disney World park.  Why?  Since its opening all those years ago, the park has had a reputation of being too educational and too boring for children.  In fact, when the park first opened, management was insistent that there be no meet and greets with Disney characters in the park. That didn't last long, but still, Walt Disney World employees had a hard time convincing parents that the park would be fun for children.  Which brings us to the Epcot of today.  Many changes have been made to the park to make it more "kid friendly."  I'm going to be your tour guide for these changes, with the hope that they will help you plan some activities for your children at Epcot.

Mousellaneous Monday: What Would You do for a Disney Fairytale Wedding?

The Disney Weddigng Pavillion, the dream of future princesses everywhere.

Disney Fairytale Weddings are, in a word, beautiful.  Any female Walt Disney World lover has probably at least considered a Walt Disney World wedding at some point in her life, even if they know it won't be a reality (myself included).  Disney Fairytale Weddings are offered at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland.  They are not currently offered at Disneyland Paris, as it is not a commonly requested thing among Parisians, or at Hong Kong Disneyland.  Each location has its own set of rules regarding spending, photography, park rental and other such details.  However, at Tokyo Disneyland, the rules go even further.

Bringing Home the Magic: The Guide to Disney Trading

In today's Bringing Home the Magic, I'll be giving you a guide to Disney Trading.  Now, if I had written this article four years ago, it would have been called "The Guide to Disney Pin Trading".  However, with the recent introduction of Vinylmations, that title is no longer appropriate.  Here, I will give you my beginners tips for trading both pins and Vinylmations.

Seeing "the World" Tip #2: Free and Inexpensive Souvenirs

Free....  That's not often a word you see in Walt Disney World.  And after you've spent all of that money on your vacation, sometimes shelling out more money for souvenirs can be tough to do.  Fear not, my trusty blog readers.  I'm here to help.  In this edition of Seeing "the World," we will be talking about some of the well-known, and lesser know, free and inexpensive Walt Disney World souvenirs.

Bringing Home the Magic: Kingdom Keepers

Hi everyone!  I apologize for the long break between posts, but I'm back, with an all new Bringing Home the Magic.  Today, I'm going to review Kingdom Keepers, a book series by Ridley Pearson.  The books are about a group of five teenagers as they go through the daily troubles of school, first crushes, and bullies.  Oh, and at night they get transported into the Walt Disney World theme parks as holograms who have to battle some of the fiercest Disney villians ever created.  Did that get your attention back?  Good.

Why Animal Kingdom May Never Have a Dark Ride

Recently, I have been watching a lot of Disney movies.  Most of them have been the ones I haven't seen since I was a child.  I must say, some of the films take on whole new meanings when you watch them with a slightly older brain.

A great example of what I'm talking about is Tarzan.  (spoiler alert)  In addition to noticing a few rather macabre things that somehow escaped me when I last watched the film at least ten years ago (most notably the dead bodies of Tarzan's parents and the shadow of Clayton's body after he accidently hangs himself), I have also realized something that may upset many Disney fans I have encountered on fan discussion boards.  Tarzan (and Bambi, and Brother Bear) does not lend itself to a Disney dark ride. 

What Keeps Me Going Back

I admit it.  I'm a Walt Disney World junkie.  In my life, I've been to Walt Disney World at least thirty times.  I've done every single ride, nearly every show, and seen nearly every character there is to see.  Some of you might be thinking to yourself "Why on earth would you keep going back?"  Well, I can sum that up in one simple word: magic.  From the characters going out of their way to make a child feel special, to cast members doing little things for people that just make me smile, the magic that Walt Disney World has just pulls me in.  Every single time I go, I meet at least one cast member who makes an impression on me.  I hope you'll bear with me as I share a few of those stories here.

Bert in his sweep outfit (the best way for Bert to be)

My first trip to Walt Disney World was when I was young enough to still know that Mickey Mouse had walked right out of the cartoons to meet me.  So, you can imagine my joy when Bert asked me if I would like to help him lead a parade through Fantasyland (how I wish they would still do this, it was a lovely experience).  After the parade, Bert and I sat and just talked.  He asked me about my favorite rides, my favorite characters, anything he could think of.  Then he asked for my autograph book, and he wrote me a personalized note calling me the best parade partner he'd ever had.  He then took me to the front of the line for Mary Poppins and Mr. Penguin and introduced me to them both as his personal friend.  As you can imagine, Bert still holds a place in my heart to this day.

That same trip, we found Esmerelda and Phoebus in the France pavillion at Epcot.  At the time, Esmerelda was one of my favorite characters, so I was, of course, over the moon to meet her in person.  Not only that, but we were the only people around, so they spent extra time talking to me.  Then, a band came out.  Well, as soon as they started playing, Esmerelda took my hand and we danced together right there in the middle of France. 

As you can probably tell, that first trip made quite the impression on me.  But the magic continues, even now that I'm older.  One trip, a supervisor gave me a free pin, for no reason at all.  Scoop Sanderson gave me a pin two trips ago when I told him I had (regretably) left my pin collection at home.  And, perhaps the most special to me, is a character handler named Chip, who helped me finally meet Terrence in Pixie Hollow after who knows how many times standing in line.  Not only that, but he told Terrence we were special friends, so Terrence made a huge deal out of me and my family.  You can't top memories like that.

So, whenever people give me the crazy stare when I say I'm going back again, I just smile and move on.  I know its the magic that keeps me going back.  And as long as there's magic, Walt Disney World is where you'll find me.

Do you have a magical memory of your own?  Feel free to share it in the comments!