Permanent Changes Are Coming to the Guest Assistance Card (GAC)

By

-

September 27, 2013

Many of you may remember that we have been reporting on some possible changes coming to the Guest Assistance card, well it seems as though these changes are about to become reality.

These changes are set to take place Oct 9. As of that date the new program called Disabled Access Service Card will be in full effect. Now the system at WDW will work just like the system, now in place at Disneyland. It’s going to be like a Fastpass.

Here are the details:

There will be Guest Relations kiosks set up all throughout the parks.

You tell the CM what ride you want to go on and they will check the current wait time on their iPad and then the CM will write out a return time on a return pass. It is said they will subtract some travel time.

You can do whatever you want within that time. Just like with a traditional Fastpass.

Don’t forget, you must return within the time frame on the card, again just like a traditional Fastpass.

I know there are different stamps for the GAC pertaining to different access for different disabilities. I hear that will also be no more. There will be just one DAS card for everyone who needs it.

With the new DAS system the card will only be good for one day. However if you are staying for longer than that and you can prove it they may give it you for your length of stay.

Also your picture will be on the front of the card so they can verify that it is you that is in fact using the card and you are not passing it off to all of your family and friends.

I was told that that at some point it will work with the new Magicbands. The Cast Member I spoke to did not know how long the new card would be good for annual passholders but it should be a permanent thing in my opinion.

They will use the current GAC’s until Oct 9th. I try not to prejudge things that I have not experienced yet, but I am not feeling this new service. There are many people, like myself, with “Invisible Disabilities” who have a hard enough time getting people to believe that we in fact have a disability. I think this is going to make it harder for us. However I think the bigger problem are going to come from individuals with Autism. Disney says they worked with Autism Speaks to ensure that the card will work for them as well.

I try to look at an issue from all sides and I do see their point but I also think it is horrible to allow a few cheaters to change an entire system, that is working well for the most part.

It has been reported that the Guest Assistance Card is a front of the line pass, well it is not. I use a GAC sometimes and there have been times where I have had to wait longer than the stand by line. So it definitely is not a front of the line pass.

Disney will release more info as the date for the change approaches.

I have my doubts but I will give it a chance, since I have no other option really. How do you feel about this change?

Update 9/26/2013: I have some updated info on the DAS system. The last day of the GAC system will be Oct 8th. The new system will be in place Oct. 9th. The new system will have the persons picture on the front and the card will be larger than the current GAC card because the back of it will be used for the CM at the ride to fill out your return times. I was assured that there will be a CM at every ride/attraction, not a kiosk, to issues you a return time. The person whose picture is on the card does have to ride the ride with their group, so no passing the card to others. However anyone can go to the ride and get a return time, not necessarily the card holder. I was told this will benefit children with Autism because they will not have to go to the ride and then walk away from it causing a meltdown.

You can not have more than one active return time. You will have to get a new card pretty much every time you go, even passholders. This does not work affect Fastpass or Fastpass+ , so you can use all of the above. The guest limit is still 6.

They are still going through training on this so he did not know all the details yet and he wasn’t even supposed to tell me this, I guess my Psychology training finally paid off. He said the cardholder will have to sign something saying that they will not abuse the card and they understand how it works and if you don’t follow the rules your card will be permanently revoked.

Let me say if you have one GAC currently and you have more than one person with health issues in your family, like my situation, I would say now get one for each family member or else it seems as though this can be misconstrued as lying. Just my observations!

They will also be limiting what types of disabilities will be able to get the new DAS card. I see this not going well at all. If you have mobility issues or if you use a stroller as a wheelchair then you will not need the DAS. These are not my words this came straight from a guest services CM. They are not looking forward to the change because they know there will be a lot of very upset guests. So lets remember to be nice to the CM because the changes are not coming from them, they are just the messenger. I am a former CM so I know how hard they work and the abuse they take.

Wishing you Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Sunshine

Disney World Will be Locking up Pools at Night

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

September 27, 2013

You may remember that a young child drowned a few months back in a Disney World pool. So Disney has now said they will be locking down all the larger pools (main theme pools) at night and putting lifeguards at all the larger pools during operating hours.

Their large pools will now open at 7am or 9am and close down at 11pm so lifeguards will be there during those hours. Only some of the smaller pools in certain resorts will stay open all hours.

Since guests will no longer be permitted to swim after hours, Disney is installing a fence around all of their “feature” pools. This renovation will begin in the next few months.

Wishing you Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Sunshine

2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Starts today!

By

Chip

-

September 27, 2013

Walt Disney World guests can sip new wines, beers and cocktails, taste flavors from around the globe and eat to the beat of live entertainment at the 18th annual Epcot Food and Wine Festival presented by Chase from Sept. 27-Nov. 11, 2013.

The 46-day festival at Disney’s Epcot theme park serves up authentic cuisine from six continents; wine, beer and inventive new cocktails; nightly Eat to the Beat! concerts with entertainment ranging from rock and soul to funk and blues; cultural exhibits of more than 25 international regions; and regularly scheduled performances by acrobats, musicians, dancers and comedy troupes. Exotic marketplaces from Scotland to Brazil offer exciting taste treats. The festival is believed to be the largest food and wine event of its kind in the world, beginning at the Festival Welcome Center in Future World and fanning around the promenade encircling World Showcase Lagoon.

Here are some facts about the 18th annual event:

More than 300 national and international wines
A record 46 days long, the festival began in 1996 with a first run of 30 days
More than 220 food-and-beverage menu items, each tapas-sized portion or drink priced $3-$8
100-plus celebrity chefs and 160 Walt Disney World chefs
More than 300 wine and beer seminars take place during the 46-day festival
More than 1,200 fireworks exploding each night over World Showcase Lagoon in “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth”
138 Eat to the Beat! concerts performed; 6 bands appearing for the first time at this year’s festival
The festival’s Ocean Spray Cranberry Bog is refilled three times during the course of the 46-day event, using a total of 910,000 cranberries or more than 3,000 pounds of the sweet-tart fruit
1.5 million sumptuous samplings throughout the festival
300,000 wine servings — if laid end-to-end the number of wine glasses used would reach from Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista to the Disney Cruise Line terminal at Port Canaveral, Fla.
360,000 beer servings, enough to fill the aquariums 5 times over at Rainforest Café at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
100,000 dessert servings including the dessert trio of Cherry Pistachio Mousse, Orange Cupcake and Hazelnut Cheesecake. More than 500 pounds of watermelon is expected to be tasted at the “3D” Disney’s Dessert Discovery parties
More than 80,000 servings dished up of the most popular savory item at the 2012 international marketplaces: the “Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce from Canada

0529ZX 0053MS 533×800

0529ZX 0092MS 532×800

0529ZX 0203MS 640×4261

0529ZX 0246MS 533×800

0529ZX 0297MS 532×800

0529ZX 0314MS 640×425

0529ZX 0353MS 640×425

0529ZX 0553MS 640×426

0529ZX 0614MS 640×425

0529ZX 0638MS 533×800

0529ZX 0678MS 640×425

0530ZX 0477MS 640×425

0530ZX 0566MS 640×425

0530ZX 0577MS 533×800

0706ZZ 0058MS 532×800

0706ZZ 0126MS 640×426

0706ZZ 0141MS

0706ZZ 0278MS 640×426

0706ZZ 0316MS 640×425

0706ZZ 0640MS 532×800

0719ZY 0598MS 640×426

0728ZZ 0168MS 640×426

0728ZZ 1250MS 640×426

0730ZX 0121MS 533×800

0730ZX 0145MS 640×426

0730ZX 0220MS 640×426

0730ZX 0317MS 533×800

0730ZX 0422MS 533×800

0730ZX 0466MS 640×426

0928ZY 0263KP 640×421

0930ZZ 0125MS 640×426

0930ZZ 0194MS 640×426

0930ZZ 0767MS 640×426

0930ZZ 0886MS 640×426

0930ZZ 0910MS 640×426

1006ZY 1191TA 640×426

1008ZZ 0118MS 640×426

1008ZZ 0464MS 640×426

062004 TR 78 2559 640×462

‘Iron Man 3’ Blu-ray Review

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

September 26, 2013

In May, Marvel launched straight into the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 2 with ‘Iron Man 3‘, which saw Robert Downey, Jr. returning to the role of Tony Stark in his fourth outing. The movie was a huge commercial and critical success, and quickly became one of the highest grossing movies of all time. I loved the film, and you can read my full review here, so I couldn’t wait for it to finally arrive on blu-ray to watch it again. Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures have put together a very good Blu-ray release that fans are going to be very happy to put on their shelf.

Six months have passed since the battle in Manhattan in ‘The Avengers’, and Tony Stark hasn’t been the same since the invasion. His whole world was turned upside down, and he quickly found himself no longer the most powerful man in his own world. The battle has left him emotionally scarred, so Stark has thrown himself into his work, building new Iron Man suit after another, just trying to make himself feel complete and whole again. But when a terrorist who has been leaving the world in a state of fear causes an event that hits Tony too close to home, Stark ends up on a personal vendetta against the man known as the Mandarin, that’ll change him forever, and Iron Man will never be the same.

The thing that makes the movie so interesting is that it’s taking time to explore Stark, and what exactly it means to be Iron Man. Is it the suit, or is it the man? It’s a very good character study, and something that came from such a great one-off line in ‘The Avengers’. When Captain America asked Stark, “Big man in a suit. Take that away, what are you?”, I don’t think many realized it was actually a set up for what the next film would be. Exploring Stark’s reliance on the suit, and stripping it away, honestly makes him that much more interesting and compelling. Shane Black, who came on to direct this third entry in the series, really gets what make the character tick, and the way he and Downey, Jr. put Stark through such a great emotional ringer made this feel like the most fulfilling film in the ‘Iron Man’ series yet.

Disney and Marvel Studios have put together a rather great disc, featuring a nice set of special features. The most interesting of the features is the new ‘Marvel One Shot: Agent Carter’, which is a fifteen minute short film that sees Haley Atwell returning to her role as Peggy Carter from ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’. The film finds Carter working her being held down by a chauvinistic boss, played by Bradley Whitford, who doesn’t see her as an agent because she’s a woman, and she’s only gotten to where she is because she was Captain America’s girlfriend. It’s a great short film, that actually sets up some great foundation for things we all know and love in the Marvel Universe, and features some great cameos from some of the fan favorite characters. It’s definitely the standout on the disc, and it’s now actually being looked at as the basis of a new ABC TV series.

The disc also features a fun audio commentary with director Shane Black and writer Drew Pearce. It’s a great listen, full of some fun anecdotes and stories, so it’s definitely deserving of your attention. There’s a deleted scenes section, which amounts to about fifteen minutes of alternate takes and a few scenes that were trimmed out, but overall it’s nothing really substantial, and you can see what it was cut out. There are two making of behind the scenes documentaries, one that focuses on the Air Force One sequence, and one that gives us about ten minutes behind the scenes of the film, which is really great to watch, but feels far too short. It definitely could have been longer.

‘Iron Man 3’ is the most personal film for Stark, and is only second to ‘The Avengers’ as being the best film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Disney has put together a spectacular blu-ray disc that features a solid set of special features, as well as a great transfer and audio mix. There’s a lot to love about this film, and fans of the ‘Iron Man’ series, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well, are definitely going to want to add this one to their collection, which is in stores now.

Beginners Tips for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

September 26, 2013

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, which is why I must attend the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

In case you’re attending your first party this year, here are some tips on how you can make the most of your evening.

The Party Requires a Separate Ticket

I see this question every year, and yes, entry to the party requires a separate Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party ticket (even if you’re visiting the park earlier in the day, the party requires separate entry). Here’s a tip, you may receive a discount on select event nights when you purchase tickets in advance. Some nights do sell out, so buying tickets ahead of time is suggested.

Wear Costumes

Kids (of all ages) are welcome to wear costumes to the party. It doesn’t matter whether your costume is elaborate or homemade, dressing up puts you in the Halloween spirit and sure makes for cute photos with Disney characters , who also wear their Halloween best!

Grab a Special Event Map

The best way to ensure you don’t miss a thing is by grabbing an event map on the way in. These special maps show the location of trick or treat stations and special character greetings and list the times for must-see Halloween entertainment. I highly recommend the stage show!

Try Trick-Or-Treat Stations

Guests of all ages are also welcome to trick-or-treat throughout the park at designated treat stations and special treat trails – pathways that offer multiple candy stops along the way. This year, more than 220 tons of candy are on order, so be sure to pick up a complimentary trick-or-treat bag on your way into the park. The first year I went I didn’t Trick or Treat because I felt I was too old. I was wrong because everyone was Trick or Treating. Everyone is a kid in Disney!!

Watch Mickey’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade

Any Disney parade is amazing, but if you’d like to see a procession of characters in Halloween costumes, marching Haunted Mansion butlers, dancing hitchhiking ghosts, Goofy’s giant candy machine and much more. This parade is my favorite, it truly is a must see at least once in your life.

Don’t Miss “Happy HalloWishes” Fireworks

One of the highlights of the event is the special Halloween-themed fireworks show that takes place at 9:30 p.m. “Happy HalloWishes” is narrated by the Ghost Host from The Haunted Mansion and features sections inspired by Cruella de Vil, Jafar, Oogie Boogie and other Disney villains.

Here is great tip: You can get into the park at 4 pm with your MNSSHP ticket but the festivities don’t begin until 7 pm!

Do you have any tips for MNSSHP?

For more info check out Disney Parks Blog.

Wishing you Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Sunshine

New Trailer and Images for Disney’s Frozen

By

Chip

-

September 26, 2013

New images and trailer has release today from Disney’s Frozen movie that is set to be in theaters on November 27th, 2013.

Walt Disney Animation Studios, the studio behind “Tangled” and “Wreck-It Ralph,” presents “Frozen,” a stunning big-screen comedy adventure. Fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) sets off on an epic journey—teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven—to find her sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf (voice of Josh Gad), Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.

The film is directed by Chris Buck (“Tarzan,” “Surf’s Up”) and Jennifer Lee (screenwriter, “Wreck-It Ralph”), who also wrote the screenplay. It is produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Winnie the Pooh,” “The Princess and the Frog”). Featuring original songs from Tony® winner Robert Lopez (“The Book of Mormon,” “Avenue Q”) and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (“In Transit,” “Winnie the Pooh”), and an original score by Christophe Beck (“The Muppets,” Oscar®-winning short “Paperman”), “Frozen” hits theaters in 3D on Nov. 27, 2013.

In “Frozen,” fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) teams up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven in an epic journey, encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf (voice of Josh Gad)in a race to find Anna’s sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter.

Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade Coming to Magic Kingdom in 2014

By

Chip

-

September 26, 2013

A new daytime parade, the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade, will march into Magic Kingdom in spring 2014. The Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade will bring the magical stories of New Fantasyland to Main Street, U.S.A., through fantastic and innovative new parade floats, vibrant costumes, and an original soundtrack that will feature beloved songs from favorite Disney films, plus a new parade theme song.

More Pictures below.

Disney Kicks off New Spanish Language Portal called Disney ¡Ajá!

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

September 26, 2013

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Disney Interactive has launched Disney ¡Ajá! portal. It gives users access to Spanish-language content on Disney.com. It has a variety of games, activities, videos and full-length episodes, Disney ¡Ajá! has something for everyone. In addition to the familiar content that you are used to from Disney.com but presented in Spanish, Disney ¡Ajá! also features original series from Disney Latin America and Disney Spain.

The site is optimized for tablets and smartphones, so you can access the content across all devices.

With Disney ¡Ajá! kids can interact with Disney characters in many ways, including:

Watching complete Spanish-language episodes of shows from Disney Junior, Disney Channel and Disney XD, as well as original series from Disney Latin America and Disney Spain

Playing popular games like Teen Beach Movie: Motociclistas contra Surfistas and Jessie: La aventura de Jessie en la gran ciudad

Singing along with karaoke-style Spanish lyric music videos of Disney songs from classic films like Cinderella and The Lion King, as well as more recent tunes from Tangled, Phineas and Ferb and more

Printing coloring pages of Mickey & Friends, complete with coloring hints in Spanish

To check out the new site, visit Aja.Disney.com.

2013 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade Taping Schedule for Disney World

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

September 26, 2013

It’s that time of year again when I get tons of questions here at Chip and Co as to when Disney will be taping the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade for both Disney World and Disneyland. Well every year we deliver the news well before the other guys.

Well this year is no different!

I have the info from a reliable source that Disney World will be taping their Christmas Day Parade on December 6th – 8th, 2013.

The schedule is as follows:

Friday December 6th, 2013 Morning Practice followed by performance and the taping of the parade.
Saturday December 7th, 2013 Morning Practice followed by performance and the taping of the parade.
Sunday December 8th, 2013 is the rain back up day. (Taping could happen as late as 4:00 pm)

Details on who will be at the taping haven’t been released yet, but you know Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade always brings in the biggest names in both Movies & Music!

Remember dates and times are always subject to change. If you are going to be in the Disney Parks on those days and want to avoid the crowds just be sure to visit one of the other theme parks between Friday – Sunday. Although if you want to be apart of the event we will have details on getting tickets in the coming months.

Merry Christmas and Have Fun!!
Wishing you Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Sunshine

Edible Orlando Event Featuring Disney World Chefs

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

September 25, 2013

The Inaugural Edible Orlando Field to Feast Dinner is benefitting the Kid’s Café program of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

The second best thing about this event is it features Disney World chefs! The first best thing is, it benefits the Food Bank of Central Florida.
The event is scheduled from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, October 27 and it is being held at Long & Scott Farms of Zellwood, Florida.

The chefs featured will be:

Scott Hunnel of Victoria & Albert’s

Brian Piasecki of California Grill

Tim Keating of Flying Fish Café

Frank Brough from The Wave … of American Flavors

Leonard Thomson from Disney Events

Jens Dahlmann from Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

Phillip Ponticelli of Cítricos

Stefan Riemer from Disney Desserts

Tickets are$175 each / $325 per couple (Tables in Wonderland discount does not apply)

Tickets are available at EdibleOrlando.com

Does it get any better than yummy food prepared by Disney chefs that benefit a good cause?

Wishing you Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Sunshine

The Secret to a Stress Free Disney World Vacation Planning

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

September 25, 2013

Planning your Walt Disney World vacation to fit your needs can be so much fun! Part of the anticipation process is all the planning that goes into it. Even if you are a frequent visitor, like many of us here at Chip & Co, planning is still a must! Getting a subscription to Touring Plans, finding an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, and reading up on the latest Disney news can all be very helpful. Anyway, let’s talk about planning your Disney trip to make it stress free when you arrive.

On or Off Walt Disney World Property. While there are MANY locations that will fit your accommodation needs in the Lake Buena Vista area, you can’t go wrong with staying on Disney property. The transportation to the parks, as well as the tiered resorts to fit ANY budget make it a no brainer. Plus, if you are visiting Universal Studios, you can opt for a Park to Park ticket. This means that you can get a shuttle from your Disney resort to Universal Studios and back again, making it convenient to visit both the Disney and Universal parks without having to switch hotels. Not to mention, the Disney customer service, decor, and magic that is present in each and every Disney resort REALLY makes it worth staying on Disney property.

Value, Moderate, or Deluxe. That is a tough decision to make….as there are perks about all the levels of resorts! One way to decide is obviously your family’s budget. Another factor is the number of people you are traveling with. All tiers of resorts offer options for families of five. And, it can be a great idea to get adjoining rooms at any of the resorts. Did you know, that if the number of children traveling in your party outweighs the number of adults, you are GUARANTEED a connecting room? Sweet! That means more space for your family, and TWO bathrooms!

Booking Your Vacation. Using a travel agent, especially one that specializes in Disney, is a good idea. In fact, it took me FIVE visits to Walt Disney World to finally turn it over to a travel agent. And, I’m SO glad I did! Do a little research for yourself, so when you get in touch with an agent, you have an idea of what type of resort or which specific resort you want. Disney puts out special offers all throughout the year, but it’s a good idea to nail down your dates and get your $200 deposit paid. If new offers come out, your agent can apply them for you, saving you money. Also, with your dates nailed down, you can start making Dining Reservations. If you choose to book yourself through the Walt Disney World site, allow some time to read up reviews on the resorts and check their latest refurbishments. These can be easy determining factors for if the resort is right for you.

Park Days or ADRs first? This is a toss up for me. If we REALLY want to eat at Akerhaus, then I check the times available for our dates and snag an ADR for it. Since I enjoy a pre RD reservation, I will look for times that are early for breakfast, and then decide which park to visit that day. If I can only get an 8:00 at Crystal Palace on the Wednesday of our trip, then that’s the day we are going to Magic Kingdom. This is where Park Hopper tickets can come in handy, too.

Make a List of MUST DO Attractions. Ask everyone you are traveling with what their “MUST DO” restaurant, attraction, or show is. This will help you narrow down your park days, and then decide from there your touring plan of the individual parks.

Wow! That’s a lot to think about, isn’t it?! We are always more than happy to help you answer questions to figure out the best planning for your trip to Walt Disney World!

Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Gets Ready for Food and Wine Classic

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

September 25, 2013

The culinary team at the Disney World Swan and Dolphin is getting ready for the annual Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic, it takes place Oct. 18-19. The event is an great opportunity for everyone to enjoy some yummy food and wine, you can also attend food and wine seminars.

Incredible food creations from short rib Oscar to raspberry s’mores. Guests can buy wines and event merchandise. New this year is a pasta-making seminar hosted by hotel executive chef Robert Ciborowski. There is a new Italian wine class, where guests can learn the history of Italian wine and its influence on culture and cuisine.

Returning beverage seminars include mixology, sake, beer, wine-blending, champagne, Riesling and Spanish wines.

Celebrity chef Todd English will be on hand as well. English is a world-renowned restaurant owner who has gained national acclaim through his chain of restaurants and cookbooks. His concept, Todd English’s bluezoo, is a AAA four-diamond restaurant and one of the signature restaurants of the Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel.

Laurent Branlard, the hotel’s executive pastry chef , and the world’s only two-time World Pastry Chef will also be there throughout the weekend.

For more info check out swandolphinfoodandwineclassic.com

Ticket Info:

One and two-night packages including tickets to the outdoor festival for two and overnight accommodations are available, starting at $300 per night
Advance purchase event-only tickets are available for $85 including taxes and include unlimited food and beverage samples on the causeway.
Beverage seminars are $45 per person, per class including taxes
Pasta seminar is $60 per person including taxes

Wishing you Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Sunshine