January 2023 – Page 6 – A Walk With The Mouse

Disney World Brings Back Beloved Ticket Offer!

Posted on January 16, 2023January 16, 2023 by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

If there’s one thing that we know about a Walt Disney World Resort vacation, it’s that it is not a cheap experience. Between the hotel, Park tickets, food, and travel expenses, the average Disney World trip will set Guests back thousands of dollars. Over the past few years, it seems that Disney may have out-priced the average family, and even Florida residents are saying that they are planning to vacation elsewhere. Disney wants to show its Florida love and is bringing back a popular resident ticket offer.

On most days between January 10 and mid-April, Florida residents can purchase a two-day ticket for as little as $175 per person with the Florida Resident Weekday Magic Ticket! Considering a one-day Park ticket is typically over $100 per person, this adds up to significant savings. There are also three and four-day Weekday Magic tickets available, and Guests can even add on a Park-Hopper option or Park Hopper Plus option (which includes water parks) for an additional fee.

Here’s some more information on this great ticket offer that applies to all four Disney World theme parks – Disneys Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom Park.

Florida residents can purchase a 2-Day Disney Weekday Magic Ticket for $175 plus tax —or choose from other great Disney Weekday Magic Ticket options. This ticket can be used on consecutive or non-consecutive days.

Explore ticket options:

2-Day Disney Weekday Magic Tickets
3-Day Disney Weekday Magic Tickets
4-Day Disney Weekday Magic Tickets
Disney Weekday Magic Tickets are valid Monday through Friday only, from January 10 through April 27, 2023 (subject to blockout dates from March 13 through March 17, 2023; April 3 through April 7, 2023; and April 10 through April 14, 2023)

Tickets are not valid for admission on blockout dates.

There are several important things to note with the Florida Resident Weekday Magic ticket. First and foremost, in addition to their theme park ticket, Guests will also need to make theme park reservations. So, if you decide to purchase the Florida resident ticket, it is best to make sure the Parks you want to visit are available on the days you want to go. Luckily, weekdays are typically not as busy as weekends, so you may have more luck when trying to book the theme parks of your choice.

It is also important to remember that, because this ticket option is for Florida residents only, proof of residency may be required. So, when you get to the parks, be ready to prove that you live in the state should a Cast Member ask you to. Over on the West Coast at Disneyland Resort, Guests must show their California ID when proof of residency is required, so Disney World may do the same.

Disney Announces Reopening Date for Pete’s Silly Sideshow

Posted on January 16, 2023January 16, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

While many of the pandemic-era closures have since reopened, some offerings still have yet to come back. This is especially true when it comes to character meet and greets. Fortunately, Disney confirmed the return of one of our favorite character spots in Magic Kingdom, Pete’s Silly Sideshow this morning.

Disney World has confirmed the return of character meet and greets at Pete’s Silly Side Show beginning January 15, 2023.

This super fun, and super silly, spot is the perfect place to catch up with Googy, Donald, Daisy and Pluto.

New Perks Available to Annual Passholders

Posted on January 13, 2023January 13, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

Passholders have had a pretty good day. Recent news of attraction openings, a relaxing of Park Pass requirements, and new night time shows have led to what amounts to be an incredible news day for Disney Parks. The fun isn’t over yet though! Disney quietly announced a new perk for Annual Passholders amongst all the ther news today!

You might recall that PhotoPass was formerly complimentary for Passholders. It was a victim of what I like to call “the perk purge” that has taken place in recent years. Sadly, I’m not here to tell you that free PhotoPass is coming back. However, Disney is giving Passholders complimentary access to PhotoPass Lenses and one free Cinderella Castle Mural of Memories. That may not feel like much but like everything else today, it’s a step in the right direction.

Cinderella Castle Mural of Memories is a particularly great perk simply because it is so unique. The idea was born out of a desire to celebrate Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary in a unique and memorable way. The idea is to gather a collection of memories from the celebration and (virtually) pin them to Cinderella Castle to create a beautiful keepsake. Typically Disney charged $9.99 per photo for this experience but as the celebration winds down, Passholders can pin one photo for free. Pinning a photo comes with a free download of the Mural.

PhotoPass Lenses are also a fun and unique way to celebrate your day! It uses AR (Augmented Reality) in select areas around the Parks to create one of a kind selfies by inserting your favorite characters or surprising magical moments into the frame. Think of it like the Magic Shots you can get from Disney’s PhotoPass photographers, only you get to add the magic yourself! This service was formerly exclusive to Guests who purchased Disney Genie+ (it’s not even included with Memory Maker purchase) but now Passholders can access it free of charge for a limited time!

These new changes may seem small on the surface, but they add up to something huge: feeling appreciated and valued by Disney again after a few years of feeling like nothing but cash cows. We are hopeful that meaningful change will continue at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. The small things really do add up.

Popular Disney Eatery Closes Its Doors

Posted on January 13, 2023January 13, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Dining, Disney Parks

In 2001, a massive Disneyland Resort expansion was finally complete, and the Downtown Disney District was open for business. Downtown Disney is a great shopping and dining area that connects Disneyland Resort’s three hotels — the Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier Hotel (soon to be Pixar Place), and the Grand Californian — with Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.

While a lot of stores and restaurants have come and gone in those more than 20 years, there is one popular restaurant that has been a staple for the area — La Brea Bakery & Café. Sadly, on January 9, La Brea announced that they were closing the doors on the Café, effective immediately.

La Brea Bakery did not say exactly what led them to close their doors at Downtown Disney, but the press release did say that they would be focusing on their in-store bakeries found at supermarkets.

After 34 years at our flagship location on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles, and more than two decades in Downtown Disney, Anaheim, Aspire Bakeries has made the difficult decision to permanently close La Brea Bakery Café. This morning, meetings were held at our Los Angeles and Downtown Disney Café locations to announce the closures, which are effective immediately.

Consistent with our strategy, Aspire Bakeries will exit the restaurant business and continue the focus on growing our thriving La Brea Bakery business in retail (grocery in-store bakeries) and foodservice. While we will no longer be operating the Cafés, consumers can still find our delicious La Brea Bakery artisan breads, both fresh baked and Take ‘n Bake, at their local grocery’s in-store bakery and at other restaurant locations that serve artisan breads.

Not long after the closure of La Brea Bakery was shared, Disney made an announcement, thanking the company for its long relationship with Disney and its Guests. Disney also shared that Earl of Sandwich would be returning to occupy the space for a limited time. Earl of Sandwich had been located at the other end of Downtown Disney, but was torn down as Disney began its major shopping and dining expansion project.

La Brea also acknowledged that the closure would affect many loyal employees. To help those who were now unemployed, the company teamed up with Disney to host a job fair immediately after the closure was announced. Disneyland Resort is currently hiring for multiple positions.

Downtown Disney is currently undergoing a major renovation and will see several new eateries coming to the area, including the incredibly popular Porto’s Bakery and the hit Chinese restaurant Din Tai Fung.

Iger Reveals Surprising New Policy for Cast Members

Posted on January 13, 2023January 13, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

In a new email to Disney Cast Members, Iger is continuing the company’s reorganization.

The Walt Disney Company CEO, Robert Iger arrives for the World premiere of Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Endgame” at the Los Angeles Convention Center on April 22, 2019 in Los Angeles. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) (Photo credit should read VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)

The recently returned Disney CEO Bob Iger took the helm a couple of months ago, with quick shakeups in the company, particularly in the Media & Entertainment Distribution division, which is responsible for Disney+. Disney Executives, including Chapek’s right-hand man, Kareem Daniel, and Arthur Bochner, Chapek’s Chief of Staff and Speech Writer, have left the company.

Bob Iger has diagnosed The Walt Disney Company’s downfall as it was “losing its soul.” Iger himself has said the Disney Parks are too expensive and knows that change needs to be made.

Now, Iger continues on his journey to bring back the magic for the stock dipping company. According to a report, Bob Iger shared the importance of in-person collaboration in an email sent to hybrid Cast Members on Monday, January 9, 2023. The email states:

“As I’ve been meeting with teams throughout the company over the past few months, I’ve been reminded of the tremendous value in being together with the people you work with,” Iger wrote. “As you’ve heard me say many times, creativity is the heart and soul of who we are and what we do at Disney. And in a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect, observe, and create with peers that comes from being physically together, nor the opportunity to grow professionally by learning from leaders and mentors.”

The report goes on to note that starting the week of March 1, 2023, hybrid employees must return to corporate offices four days a week.

Hybrid employees, or work-from-home staff, increased among companies around the globe in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic spread. Now, years later, Iger is bringing Disney employees back to the office with this new policy.

While this decision will likely have mixed emotions from Disney’s current hybrid Cast Members, Disney isn’t the only one making this shift in policy. We’ve seen other large companies, such as Twitter and Apple, mandate their employees to return to in-house office time.