Orlando Tourism Is Giving Away 12 Free Disney World Vacations!

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

Disney has been in the news a lot lately, but not for the best of reasons. Last week, Disney announced some pretty big price increases across the board, from theme park tickets to Disney Genie+, and even bottles of water. Guests were not overly happy, as a Disney vacation seems to be getting further and further out of reach for many families.

However, the Orlando Tourism Association wants families to still be able to enjoy time at the Most Magical Place on Earth. So, they are giving away some free vacations!

Magic Kingdom

Here is more information on the sweepstakes, courtesy or Visit Orlando:

Visit Orlando, the official tourism association for Orlando, is launching a special sweepstakes for 12 lucky winners and their three closest friends, family members or travel companions to experience the 50th Anniversary celebration of Walt Disney World Resort before it ends March 31, 2023. Each Magical Getaway includes Theme Park Tickets with Park Hopper option, a $500 value Disney Gift Card, accommodation at a deluxe Disney Resort hotel for a two-night, three-day stay, roundtrip airfare provided by Frontier Airlines, and Orlando International Airport ground transportation to and from Walt Disney World Resort. 

Starting December 6 and lasting for 12 days, one entry winner will be selected each day and will receive the following:

One prize package will be awarded each day for 12 days from Visit Orlando starting Tuesday, Dec. 6, each to include: 

  • $250 flight vouchers for travel to Orlando on Frontier Airlines – America’s Greenest Airline for the winner and up to three guests  
  • One standard room (quad occupancy) for a three-day, two-night stay at a deluxe Walt Disney World Resort hotel for the winner and up to three guests (Resort hotel selected by Visit Orlando in its sole discretion)  
  • Three-Day Theme Park Tickets with Park Hopper option for winner and up to three guests (park reservations required) 
  • (1) $500 value Disney Gift Card for food & beverage and merchandise  
  • Visit Orlando Swag Bags  
  • Ground Transportation to/from the Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World ®Resort for the winner and up to 3 guests
Character meal cost

Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th Anniversary will run through March 31, 2023, so winners of the giveaway will be able to experience all the Disney Parks’ 50th magic before it is gone!

To enter the contest, all you need to do is fill out a short form and submit a photo of you and your friends or family showing off your Disney fandom.

You can read the contest rules and enter for your chance to win a Walt Disney World vacation by clicking here!

Disney Adds Big Cast Member Perk

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Dining, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Uncategorized

For some, working at a Disney Resort is a dream job. Being able to be right in the middle of the magic and help families create memories is something not a lot of people get to do. Heck, some people even move across the country — or even the world — for the chance to work at places like Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

However, recently, it seems that Disney is having a little bit of trouble keeping Cast Members happy. Not only does Disney frequently get called out for its low wages — which left some workers living in their cars — but there were also a number of walkouts and protests when Disney CEO Bob Chapek called Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, “irrelevant to the company”.

Pixar Walkout

There was also the issue of Cast Members and studio employees not receiving the same great perks that they once did. Now, however, it looks like Disney is trying to increase the perks — at least a little bit.

For years, one of the biggest perks was that Cast Members would be able to get into the theme parks pretty much whenever they wanted and bring some of their family or friends with them. They were also given a number of complimentary tickets that they could give to friends and family, so they could get into the Parks without the Cast Member.

Those days have been significantly cut down and last year, Disney told Cast Members they could either have the theme park perk, or they could receive the Disney Bundle — which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ — for free.

This year, Disney has changed course and has informed Cast Members that they will not have to choose. Cast Members will now be able to have both the theme park access and the Disney Bundle. However, they will only have free access to the ad-supported version of Disney+, which will launch on December 8. Disney has not told Cast Members if they will be able to pay to upgrade to the ad-free tier.

Disney Cast Members also get perks like discounts at other Disney theme parks and Disney Resorts. They also get discounts at Disney hotels. The one exception is Tokyo Disney Resort, which is not owned by Disney.

Genie+ Price Hike Already In Place

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

In the early morning hours of October 11, 2022, it was discovered that Disneyland Resort had quietly hiked up the price for its Disney Genie+ service from $20 per person per day to $25 overnight. But the Disney news of the price hikes didn’t stop there.

In addition to Disneyland’s price hike of Disney Genie service (the former complementary line skipping service known as MaxPass or FastPass+), Disneyland Resort bumped up its Park ticket prices for Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.

Unfortunately, we had a feeling Walt Disney World Resort wasn’t in the clear. Shortly after Disneyland’s news, Walt Disney World Resort quietly update its Disney Genie+ service. Instead of the former sticker price of $15 per person per day, Disney World revealed it would now offer Disney Genie+ pricing that would “vary by date.”

Much faster than Disney has been able to make decisions about the long-lasting construction status of the TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom Park… Disney wasted no time implementing the Disney Genie+ price hike.

As of the morning of October 12, 2022, Disney Genie+ at Walt Disney World has jumped from $15 to $20.

@AshleyLCarter1 took to social media to share, “For today (Oct. 12), Disney Genie+ at Disney World is priced at $20 per person plus tax. Disney recently implemented variable pricing for the service.”

The news of the price hikes didn’t stop there. Furthermore, Disney kept the quiet pricing increase unfolding with select Disney experience price increases at Savi’s Workshop and Droid Depot at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Food and beverage pricing increase has also been spotted throughout the Disney Parks and Resorts.

Individual Lightning Lane attractions that are not included in Disney Genie+ will also increase and vary in price daily, depending on crowd size for each Disney Park. The individual attraction selection and pricing for Lightning Lane attractions include Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (expect $11 per person) at Magic Kingdom, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (expect $15 per person) at EPCOT, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (expect $20 per person) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Avatar Flight of Passage (expect $14 per person) at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park.

Woman Shoves Chewbacca, Forcing Character to Leave

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Hollywood Studios

For many people, one of the highlights of a trip to Walt Disney World Resort is all the fun characters that they can meet at Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood, Studios, and Disney Resort hotels. Not only can you meet classic characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, but you can also head to places like ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village to meet Lilo and Stitch or to Galaxy’s Edge to meet Star Wars characters like Kylo Ren, Rey, and Chewbacca.

Even though seeing one of your favorite Disney characters brought to life is an exciting experience, most people know how to act appropriately and control themselves. When they see the character, they get in line, then hug and spend time with the character when it is their turn. Simple.

Now, there are some times when characters don’t set up in a certain place at a certain time. Instead, they walk around greeting Guests. One place where this happens frequently is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Galaxy’s Edge transports Guests to the planet of Batuu, which is a completely immersive place. To keep things realistic, iconic characters are frequently seen walking around instead of just posing for meet-and-greets.

Recently, young Guests visiting Galaxy’s Edge were having a fun interaction with Rey and Chewbacca. Rey was talking to the kids as Chewbacca looked on when someone unexpected and completely against Disney policy happened.

A Guest was recording, and a woman can be seen sneaking up behind Chewbacca. The woman then yells and shoves Chewbacca — seemingly trying to startle him. Both the Cast Member playing Rey and the Cast Member playing Chewbacca were shocked. They immediately stopped what they were doing and Rey said, “because of that, we might have to leave the area”. They then walked away, leaving the kids confused as to what had happened.

You can watch the video of the incident below:

@nightmareadventures

Don’t be that adult that ruins a nice interaction between kids and characters because you think you’re being funny. #starwars #starwarsgalaxysedge #chewbacca #chewie #rey #reyskywalker #disneyhollywoodstudios #disneyhollywoodstudiosorlando #disneysgalaxysedge #maytheforcebewithyou #dontbeajerk #disneycharacterinteractions #disneycharacters

♬ original sound – Maria -Travel•Food•Theme Parks

Many people who commented on the video were 1) angry and 2) quick to point out that what the woman did could end up getting her banned from the Parks if Disney finds out who she is.

Walt Disney World Resort has the following policy stated on the Property Rules section of its website:

Please show common courtesy to fellow Guests and our Cast Members by not using profanity or engaging in unsafe, illegal, disruptive or offensive behavior, jumping lines or saving places in lines for others. For your safety and the safety of others, please refrain from running except in designated areas.

Galaxy's Edge

After the woman touched the Cast Member and is walking away, it appears that a Cast Member can be seen gesturing her away from Chewie and Rey, but it is unknown if the Guest was disciplined for her actions.