Disney Announces HUGE New Resort Perk & 2025 Bookings Opening

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Get out those calendars because Disney has announced a HUGE new resort perk beginning for 2025 Walt Disney World vacations as well as the opening day for booking for 2025 vacations!

If you just can’t wait for your Disney vacation, then get ready: Walt Disney World Resort stays and theme park tickets for January to October 2025 are available to purchase beginning February 27, 2024. There is something for everyone and you can customize your visit by choosing from a wide range of options, including value Resorts like Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s All-Star Music Resort. Once you book your stay, start your countdown clock for your 2025 check-in day where you can enjoy fun in the sun at a Disney water park.

If you’re like me and need a dose of Disney magic in 2024, there are special offers available now for 2024 Disney Resort hotel stays and theme park tickets. Book now to get one step closer to day one of your vacation (aka the best day ever).

For me, nothing is better than the excitement that comes with the first day of a vacation. Here at the Walt Disney World Resort, we’re about to make those already awesome arrival days even better with a NEW perk.

Disney Resort hotel guests arriving in 2025 can enjoy admission to one of our water parks, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park or Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, on their check-in day – included in their stay. Our water parks have something for everyone: big thrills, lazy rivers, wave pools, interactive play areas for younger kids and even water slides the whole family can enjoy together. The fun can start on day one at a Disney water park when you stay in the Disney Resorts Collection! Click here to learn important details about this benefit and water park availability.

Tip: Be sure to check the water park operating hours closer to your 2025 arrival to plan your check-in day.

There are so many reasons why I prefer to stay at a Disney Resort hotel. Here are a few of my favorites:

  • Close to the theme parks: If you plan to visit one (or all) of the Walt Disney World theme parks, then nothing beats the convenience of staying at a Disney Resort hotel. Many resorts are just a hop, skip and a jump to a theme park! When I am on vacation, simplicity and ease are top planning priorities for me, so the theme parks being so close to where I sleep is perfect.
  • Complimentary transportation: Not only are the theme parks near my resort, but they’re easy to get to. With several complimentary transportation options, such as buses, boats, monorails and Disney Skyliner, I can get anywhere I need to go.
  • Extra time in the theme parks: Disney Resort hotel guests can get extra time in the theme parks with 30 minutes of early theme park entry. Guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts or Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts can maximize their time with extended evening hours at select parks on select nights. Early theme park entry and extended evening hours require valid admission, a Disney Resort hotel ID and a park reservation, if applicable. Psst – both will continue through 2025!
  • Early access to dining reservations: Don’t forget this perk: Disney Resort hotel guests can make dining reservations for their entire stay (up to a 10-night stay) 60 days before the first day of their vacation. This helps make planning simpler, so you don’t need to check every day for reservation openings.
  • Recreation & fitness activities: Even during a vacation, wellness is one of our top priorities. Our Disney Resort hotels offer several wellness activities through Disney Family Wellness. Some of my favorites include dancing to Disney songs, family fun walks and, yes, even pickleball! Check DisneyWorld.com to see what activities are available at your resort.

Of course, the magic of our Disney Resort hotels also includes the theming, attention to storytelling and world-class guest service you cannot get anywhere else.

If you prefer to pack light, then check out our MagicBands that let you enter the theme parks (with valid admission, of course), unlock your Disney Resort hotel room, link Disney PhotoPass photos, charge food and merchandise purchases to the Disney Resort hotel room you’re staying at and more – just with a tap of your band. Disney Resort hotel guests may receive a special price on a MagicBand+ if they purchase online before arriving for their stay.

Thief Caught Redhanded in Disney World, Guest Goes Viral

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks

Disney World is known as “The Most Magical Place on Earth,” but unfortunately, it’s not immune to crime.

Stepping into Walt Disney World Resort is like entering a realm where dreams come true. From the enchanting Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom to the World Showcase of EPCOT, the meticulously crafted lands transport guests to learn about new cultures. Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests can watch Fantasmic! with fan-favorite characters. Disney’s Animal Kingdom explores the circle of life.

In recent years, there has been a concerning rise in incidents of stroller thefts within the parks. Families visiting the parks often bring strollers to transport young children, and these strollers can become targets for thieves looking to make a quick profit.

Stroller thefts typically occur when families are distracted, such as when they’re waiting in line for attractions or enjoying a show. Thieves seize these opportunities to snatch unattended strollers, which may contain valuable items such as wallets, phones, cameras, and personal belongings and souvenirs.

Disney stroller

Some Disney World guests never even notice when items run off from the stroller. When guests park their strollers and leave valuables on them, anyone or anything can swipe them.

In a social media post, one Walt Disney World guest caught a stroller thief red-handed. This cute and cuddle thief was none other than a squirrel. The comments about this squirrel talk about how he was seen taking a napkin over in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Other comments talk about how other guests have seen this happen, but if their stroller was swiped from, it is not funny.

Disney World guests are looking to take proactive steps to safeguard their strollers and belongings while visiting Walt Disney World. This includes using stroller locks or securing valuables in lockable compartments, keeping strollers within sight whenever possible, and never leaving them unattended for extended periods.

Even with cute, cuddly stroller thieves running around the parks, Disney Work has dealt with car break-ins around EPCOT and credit cards being swiped, so always be on the lookout and practice safe precautions when making your way around the theme parks.

Mickey Mouse, cinderella castle, grayscaled

In addition, it’s important to note your stroller can be moved around while in stroller parking. Disney cast members will move strollers to keep walkways clear and to maintain order in the stroller parking area. When you come back from an attraction, you can always find your nearest cast member to help locate your stroller if you’re having trouble finding it.

Big Changes Coming to Casey’s Corner at Disney

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Dining, Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

There are big changes ahead for Casey’s Corner, presented by Coca-Cola–changes that will make stopping in for a quick bite to eat far more enjoyable, especially when it’s warm outside.

Casey’s Corner is a guest-favorite quick-service dining venue on Main Street, U.S.A., inside Magic Kingdom Park at the Walt Disney World Resort, and guests will also find it on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Park at the Disneyland Paris Resort.

Both venues are named for the same thing: the Casey at the Bat segment in Disney’s Make Mine Music (1946). Per D23:

During World War II, when the Disney studio had deep economic problems, many staff members were away at war and much of the studio’s facilities were used for war efforts, it was impossible to produce a typical full-length animated feature. Thus, the “package” features were created, which combined shorter segments into motion picture compilations.

And on that note, “Make Mine Music” was developed, featuring 10 cartoon segments set to music and featuring top-name talent of the time, whom Walt referred to as “ghost stars” since they were heard but not see.

Some of those ghost stars included the Andrews Sisters, Andy Russell, Dinah Shore, and Jerry Colonna (pictured above with Walt Disney), and a cartoon cast that included an opera-singing whale, a pair of hats that fall in love, the feuding families, the Martins and the Coys, Peter and the Wolf and Mighty Casey (at the bat). As Walt Disney described it, “When I got through, I had sort of a cartoon vaudeville show.”

Casey’s Corner features an American baseball theme, which includes nostalgic baseball memorabilia on the walls, ragtime music, and more, making it the perfect place at both Disney Resorts for guests to stop in and enjoy a hot dog–but with a bit of a Disney twist on it.

The venue offers traditional hot dogs, as well as “designer dogs,” that have included offerings like chili dogs, Chicago-style dogs, and BBQ pork slaw dogs. Other menu items include corn dog nuggets and ballpark nachos with chili and cheese.

In early 2022, Casey’s Corner at Disneyland Paris introduced an expanded menu, but as with other Disney Parks dining venues, menus are subject to change.

Guests with special dietary restrictions and needs will find options at Casey’s Corner that are in keeping with their dietary needs and preferences. From vegetarian and vegan offerings to halal and kosher meals, guests will have no trouble finding selections free of most major allergens.

All of these things make Casey’s Corner sound like the perfect spot to stop in for a quick bite at Disneyland Paris, but at the Parisian version of the Americana-infused eatery, there’s just one problem: when it’s warm outside, and the sun is beating down, guests who prefer to eat outside the venue have no shelter from the blistering sun–until now.

DLPReport shared the news in October 2023 about a new covered terrace coming to Disneyland Paris’s Casey’s Corner.

The upgrade will help to keep guests of Casey’s cooler by giving them some relief from the sun. According to DLPReport’s post on X, formerly Twitter plans for the upgrade also include a kiosk for meet-and-greet experiences as well:

First look at concept art for a new “Casey’s Corner” covered terrace, as part of Disneyland Paris efforts to further protect guests from the weather conditions. The project will also include a new kiosk nearby for the meet and greets:

In a separate post, DLPReport included an image of the current appearance of Casey’s Corner at Disneyland Paris and compared it against the artist’s rendering of the new space.

The artist’s rendering for the new space is beautiful, and it looks like the upgrade will really add to the Casey’s Corner space at Disneyland Paris. See the enlarged image below:

Casey's Corner at Disneyland Paris

The announcement didn’t include a date by which the changes will take place. As we cruise through 2024, it is expected the Casey’s Corner transformation will be underway soon and will likely be enjoyed by guests within the year.

New Offers for Disneyland Resort Hotels this Spring!

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Guests can save on Disneyland Resort Hotels this Spring with two new offers!

Save Up to 15% Off Select Stays at a Disneyland Resort Hotel on Sunday Through Thursday Nights

Guests can save up to 15% off select rooms at a Disneyland Resort hotel on Sunday through Thursday nights from March 11 to June 6, 2024. Subject to availability and restrictions.

Explore savings at these Disneyland Resort hotels—valid on Standard and Premium room types:

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

  • Save up to 10% off Standard rooms
  • Save up to 15% off Premium rooms

Disneyland Hotel

  • Save up to 10% off Standard rooms
  • Save up to 15% off Premium rooms

The Villas at Disneyland Hotel

  • Save up to 10% off Standard rooms
  • Save up to 15% off Premium rooms

Book now through June 3, 2024. Travel must be completed by June 7, 2024. 

Disney® Visa® Cardmembers: Save Up to 25% on Select Premium Rooms at a Disneyland Resort Hotel on Sunday Through Thursday Nights

Disney Visa Cardmembers can save up to 25% on select Premium rooms at a Disneyland Resort hotel on Sunday through Thursday nights from March 11 to June 6, 2024. Subject to availability and restrictions.

Save up to 25% at these Disneyland Resort hotels—valid on Premium room types:

  • Disney’s Grand California Hotel & Spa
  • Disneyland Hotel
  • The Villas at Disneyland Hotel

Book now through June 3, 2024. Travel must be completed by June 7, 2024.