An adult female black bear, which had taken refuge in a tree near Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on Monday, has been successfully relocated to the Ocala National Forest, as confirmed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The FWC shared footage on Tuesday of the bear’s release, which took place Monday night in Marion County’s Ocala National Forest, located approximately 90 minutes north of the Walt Disney World Resort.
In a brief 10-second clip, two FWC employees can be seen gently tapping on the enclosure’s side, coaxing the black bear to step out onto a grassy area. After a moment of curiosity, the bear swiftly exits the enclosure as the door closes behind it, prompting the bear to make a quick departure.
New Oswald Treats Available in EPCOT for Annual Passholders
New Oswald treats are available in Epcot just for Annual Passholders! These treats, and a new passholder magnet, are available for a limited time so get them before they’re gone.
Starting today, September 20, a new Annual Passholder magnet featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is now available. Passholders can pick it up from Creations Shop during normal operating hours. Limited to one magnet per passholder and they’re only available through October 23, 2023.
Also available from September 20 through October 23 are two specialty Oswald the Lucky Rabbit treats!
Sunshine Seasons in EPCOT will be serving these Passholder-exclusive menu items for a limited time:
Oswald Triple Chocolate Cake: Chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, chocolate mousse, crisp pearls and a white cookie dome
Oswald Cookies ‘n Cream Shake: Garnished with an Oswald the Lucky Rabbit chocolate coin
Passholders will be required to show proof of valid Annual Pass in order to purchase these treats. The treats are limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Will you be heading to Epcot to try these passholder-exclusive treats?
If you’d like help planning your next visit to Epcot, contact me today! I am a travel agent with Destinations to Travel, my services are complimentary, and I’d love to help you plan a magical vacation.
Disney World to Extend EPCOT Hours during 2023 International Festival of the Holidays
Once again, Disney World will extend Epcot park hours during the 2023 International Festival of the Holidays. This year’s festival will run from November 24 through December 30, 2023.
The typical operating hours for Epcot in November are 9 am to 9 pm. Starting November 24, the park will stay open until 9:30 pm. That will allow for multiple performances of the Candlelight Processional and the nightly fireworks show.
Epcot International Festival of the Holidays
The Festival of the Holidays is inspired by cultures around the world. Guests can enjoy multiple Holiday Kitchens, special merchandise, the Candlelight Processional, holiday decor, and special entertainment throughout the park.
Will you be celebrating the holidays at Walt Disney World this year?
There’s still time to plan your holiday trip! Contact me for a free vacation quote. I’m a travel agent with Destinations to Travel, my services are free, and I’d love to help you plan a magical vacation.
Disney Debuts New Walt Disney World Florida State License Plate
A new Walt Disney World Florida state license plate is coming! specialty license plate will continue to directly benefit Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida, helping grant even more wishes for children facing critical illnesses and their families.
A Disney World specialty license plate design was first released during the 50th Anniversary celebration, and just recently, Disney hit a big milestone: over $2 million raised for this Make-A-Wish chapter through these license plate sales.
“Disney is our largest wish granter in the world, and they know just how important it is to create joy and hope for children and families who need it most,” said Anne Cuba, President & CEO, Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida. “This new license plate is the latest way we are making big impacts for wish families in Florida, and I can’t wait to see it hit the roads soon as even more Florida drivers join us in making wishes come true.”
How to purchase the Walt Disney World Florida specialty license plate for yourself
Registered car owners in the state of Florida:
Visit www.flhsmv.gov to find the location of your nearest County Tax Collector’s Office in-person office or Florida license plate agency (DMV)
Make an appointment for tag renewal or registration
During your scheduled appointment, purchase an available Walt Disney World Florida specialty license plate
New Florida residents registering a car for the first time:
Click the “Motor Vehicles, Tags & Titles” drop-down menu and select “License Plates & Registration”
From the License Plates & Registration page, navigate to the Motor Vehicle Registrations page for detailed information about how to apply for a license plate and registration
To personalize your Walt Disney World Florida specialty license plate:
Visit a motor vehicle service center in Florida in person with your completed application to order your personalized Walt Disney World Florida specialty license plate
Receive your personalized Walt Disney World Florida specialty license plate in the mail
How to purchase the Walt Disney World Florida specialty license plate for others
Did you know you can also make a little magic for a loved one by purchasing a specialty license plate gift certificate for a motor vehicle registrant? Gift certificates for specialty license plates are available through local State of Florida DMVs or County Tax Collector’s Offices.
Once you’ve purchased your gift certificate, you’ll be given a receipt and a credit will be issued in the name of the person you are gifting the certificate to, which they can then redeem when purchasing their specialty license plate. Please note that they must be a Florida resident and do not have to present the gift certificate to redeem the credit, just proper identification (i.e. Florida driver’s license or ID card).
Will you be getting one of these specialty license plates?
Over the coming months Disney Imagineers will be “sprinkling a touch of timeless pixie dust” on the 50th anniversary statues. Guests with MagicBand+ will still be able to interact with the statues.
50 golden character statues were installed across all four theme parks as part of the 50th anniversary celebration. Statues featured characters like Figment, Chip n’ Dale, Timon & Pumba, Mickey Mouse, and more!
Do you enjoy interacting with the 50th anniversary statues?
If you’d like to plan your next Disney World trip, contact me today! I am a travel agent with Destinations to Travel, my services are free, and I’d love to help you plan a magical vacation.
We have the lineup of the new Halloween Food & Drinks Coming to Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World is poised to up the Halloween snack game yet again. Starting from October 1st, the culinary wizards at the theme parks and resort hotels are weaving a spellbinding collection of flavors that are certain to captivate your taste buds.
Dust off your treat bags and prepare for an array of delectable treats and sinister sweets. From the lovable new Mike Wazowski Pop at Gasparilla Island Grill to the eagerly anticipated return of the Pumpkin Patch Cookie at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there’s a treasure trove of Halloween delights to indulge in throughout the season.
At Beach Club Marketplace (Available Oct. 1 through 31; mobile order available):
Captain Hook Cookie: Savor vanilla sable adorned with strawberry jam, peanut butter ganache, buttercream, and chocolate décor (New).
Ursula Tart: Delight in a vanilla tart brimming with spice cake, chocolate ganache, blackberry pearls, blackberry mousse, and chocolate décor (New).
At Beaches & Cream Soda Shop (Available Oct. 1 through 31):
Butter Pecan-Pumpkin Shake: Relish the blend of butter pecan ice cream infused with pumpkin flavoring, drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauces, and crowned with a Mickey pumpkin-themed vanilla cupcake adorned with sprinkle décor.
Caramel Apple-Sugar Cookie (New) (Available Oct. 1 through Nov. 30)
Haunted Mansion Éclair: An éclair filled with caramel apple mousse, crowned with chocolate-caramel ganache adorned with Haunted Mansion edible images (New) (Available Oct. 1 through 31).
Vampire Stitch Cake: Delight in a chocolate cake with ‘raspberry ice cream cone’ buttercream (New).
At Pineapple Lanai (Available Oct. 1 through 31):
Not-So-Scary Pumpkin Soft-serve: Savor pumpkin-spiced flavored soft-serve paired with coconut haupia, caramel drizzle, graham cracker crumbs, and a white chocolate Mickey-shaped pumpkin.
At ABC Commissary (Available Oct. 1 through 31; mobile order available):
Spider Web Tart: Satisfy your sweet tooth with a spiced milk chocolate tart filled with orange curd, pomegranate-molasses whipped cream, candied orange peel, and a dark chocolate spider.
Frozen Apple Cider: Choose from the non-alcoholic version or the Frozen Apple Cider Whisky featuring Crown Royal Whisky, both topped with green apple boba balls.
At Backlot Express (Available Oct. 1 through 31; mobile order available):
Graveyard Cupcake: Dig into a fudge-filled chocolate cupcake topped with cookies ‘n cream buttercream, a chocolate cookie tombstone, white chocolate bone, and Halloween sprinkles.
Frozen Apple Cider: Savor the non-alcoholic Frozen Apple Cider or the Frozen Apple Cider Whisky featuring Crown Royal Whisky, both garnished with green apple boba balls.
At Dockside Diner and Fairfax Fare (Available Oct. 1 through 31; mobile order available):
Pumpkin Patch Cookie: Relish a pumpkin-spiced snickerdoodle crowned with pumpkin-spiced buttercream and pumpkin candies.
At Hollywood Scoops (Available Oct. 1 through 31):
Candy Corn Milk Shake: Sip on a vanilla and candy corn milkshake, crowned with an orange doughnut and Halloween sprinkles.
At PizzeRizzo (Available Oct. 1 through 31; mobile order available):
Halloween Candy Cookie Pizza: Delight in a sugar cookie ‘pizza’ topped with strawberry jam, white chocolate, Halloween candy, and sprinkles.
Frozen Apple Cider: Choose from the non-alcoholic version or the Frozen Apple Cider Whisky featuring Crown Royal Whisky, both topped with green apple boba balls.
At Rosie’s All-American Café (Available Oct. 1 through 31; mobile order available):
Frozen Apple Cider: Sip on the non-alcoholic Frozen Apple Cider or indulge in the Frozen Apple Cider Whisky featuring Crown Royal Whisky, both garnished with green apple boba balls.
At Woody’s Lunch Box (Available Oct. 1 through 31; mobile order available):
Pumpkin Lunch Box Tart: Savor a pumpkin pie-filled pastry tart adorned with marshmallow fondant, candy corn, and Halloween sprinkles.
At Popcorn Carts Near Grand Avenue, the Tip Board, and the Main Entrance (Available Oct. 1 through 31):
Halloween Mickey Brownie: Treat yourself to a chocolate brownie adorned with Halloween sprinkles.
At Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery and Tamu Tamu Refreshments (Available Sept. 29 through Oct. 31):
Halloween Colossal Mickey Cinnamon Roll: Relish a colossal Mickey-shaped cinnamon roll with Halloween-themed icing.
At Pizzafari and Restaurantosaurus (Available Oct. 16 through 31; mobile order available):
Scar Cupcake: Delight in a delicious red velvet cupcake with toasted marshmallow filling, chocolate frosting, chocolate pebbles, white chocolate flames, and an edible Scar image.
At D-Luxe Burger (Currently available through Nov. 23; mobile order available):
Pumpkin Pie Shake: Sip on a blend of vanilla gelato infused with pumpkin pie mix, caramel sauce, pumpkin spice, and graham cracker crumbles, crowned with whipped cream and pumpkin spice.
At The Ganachery (Available Oct. 1 through Nov. 2):
Coco Ganache Squares: Savor coconut ganache enrobed in dark 65% chocolate (Plant-based).
And don’t forget to get your hands on the enchanting Glow in the Dark Donald Candy Corn Sipper, available at various quick-service restaurants and outdoor vending locations throughout Walt Disney World Resort.
Are you bubbling with excitement for Halloween? As you can see, your appetite is in for a magical treat. The culinary journey at Disney Parks knows no bounds, especially during the enchanting fall season.
Stay tuned to all of the Chip and Co. social media sites for the latest updates on all the delectable news heading your way at Disney Parks.
Ready to book your next magical vacation, but don’t know where to start? Want to enjoy a Walt Disney World vacation without the stress of planning, booking, and tracking trip changes and promotions? Contact me today! As an agent with Destinations To Travel specializing in Disney destinations, I can help you stress less and enjoy your vacation more! The best part? My services are provided at NO ADDITIONAL COST when you book your Disney vacation package through me!
Haunted Mansion Fans are just DYING to get their hands on one of these Hitchhiking Ghosts Chocolate Chiller available now at Disney Springs
The Ganachery is home to some of the most amazing desserts and chocolate creations you will find anywhere. Haunted Mansion fans will want to get their hands on one of their latest creations: the Hitchhiking Ghosts Chocolate Chiller.
The Hitchhiking Ghosts Chocolate Chiller features a blend of three chocolates, malted milk, and cream.
The otherworldly flavors are adorned with a hitchhiking ghost topper and a straw that is themed off of the Haunted Mansion wallpaper.
About The Ganachery
The Ganachery, located in The Landing neighborhood of Disney Springs, invites you to “step inside an inviting chocolate shop inspired by the apothecaries of yesteryear. Here, you’ll find sweet remedies to quell your chocolate cravings.”
Choose from an array of tantalizing treats made from scratch—using Old World chocolate-making techniques as well as modern technologies. Each blissful bite is carefully crafted with high-quality ingredients, like fresh cream, real vanilla beans and custom chocolate blends—including a single-origin dark chocolate from the Dominican Republic.
While The Ganachery is known for its luscious ganache squares, the ever-changing menu may also include:
Ready to book your next magical vacation, but don’t know where to start? Want to enjoy a Walt Disney World vacation without the stress of planning, booking, and tracking trip changes and promotions? Contact me today! As an agent with Destinations To Travel specializing in Disney destinations, I can help you stress less and enjoy your vacation more! The best part? My services are provided at NO ADDITIONAL COST when you book your Disney vacation package through me!
Rock the Universe is returning to Universal Orlando next year, and we have the lineup!
Rock the Universe Fans: Florida’s largest Christian music festival is returning to Universal Orlando Resort in 2024. Mark your calendars for January 26 and 27, because this rocking weekend promises to be an unforgettable experience, and we have the event lineup for you!
The excitement kicks off on Friday night with electrifying performances by the GRAMMY-nominated rock band, We The Kingdom, and the GRAMMY award-winning rapper, LECRAE, just to name a few. But that’s not all – the festival continues its musical magic on Saturday night, featuring Dove award-winning sensations Casting Crowns, GRAMMY-nominated singer Phil Wickham, the illustrious GRAMMY award-winning singer Brandon Lake, and many more talented artists who will grace the stage.
Here is the full lineup for next year:
Friday, Jan. 26, 2024:
We The Kingdom-Music Plaza Stage
LECRAE-Music Plaza Stage
Blessing Offor-Music Plaza Stage
Cody Carnes-Hollywood Stage
ELEVATION RHYTHM-Hollywood Stage
Riley Clemmons-Hollywood Stage
Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024
Casting Crowns-Music Plaza Stage
Phil Wickham-Music Plaza Stage
Brandon Lake-Music Plaza Stage
CAIN-Hollywood Stage
Andrew Ripp-Hollywood Stage
Hulvey-Hollywood Stage
Rock the Universe is about more than just the main stage performances. It’s an opportunity to immerse yourself in a weekend filled with inspiring worship experiences, including a powerful Sunday morning service to wrap up this faith-filled weekend. In a dedicated fan zone, you can keep the music flowing with live performances from up-and-coming acts and even snag autographs from your favorite bands and artists.
Florida’s biggest Christian music festival returns! Raise your hands. Raise your voice. Raise your spirit. Get ready to Rock the Universe on January 26th and 27th, 2024. Tickets are now on-sale at https://t.co/ELNu8odKlVpic.twitter.com/wowh6FtNDg
Rock the Universe also grants you access to Universal Studios Florida’s most thrilling attractions during the event. Take a break from the music and dive into the newest addition to the park, Minion Land on Illumination’s Avenue. Here, you can experience the groundbreaking new attraction – Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast – where you can blast your way to supervillain stardom. Fan-favorite rides like Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, and Revenge of the Mummy will also be open to Rock the Universe attendees during the event.
Tickets to this ultimate faith-based music festival include admission to these spiritual performances and exclusive access to the popular Universal Studios Florida attractions during event hours. This year, Universal is offering attendees the chance to get 3 Parks for the Price of 2 with the Rock the Universe deal. Starting at just $150.99 per person, the Rock the Universe 3-park Rock Your Weekend Ticket grants you entrance to both Rock the Universe events, plus three days of admission to one theme park per day at Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Universal Volcano Bay.
For groups of 10 people or more, the Rock the Universe 3-Park Rock Your Weekend Ticket starts at just $132.99. Groups staying at one of Universal Orlando’s hotels will also receive exclusive perks, including Early Park Admission with valid theme park admission, complimentary shuttle transportation to Universal Orlando’s theme parks and Universal CityWalk, and more.
Ready to rock your faith and have a blast? To purchase Rock the Universe tickets and vacation packages, simply visit www.RocktheUniverse.com.
Ready to book your next epic vacation, but don’t know where to start? Want to enjoy a Universal Orlando vacation without the stress of planning, booking, and tracking trip changes and promotions? Contact me today! As an agent with Destinations To Travel specializing in Universal destinations, I can help you stress less and enjoy your vacation more! The best part? My services are provided at NO ADDITIONAL COST when you book your Universal vacation package through me!
Florida Resident 4-Day Disney World Ticket Offer for Just $59 Per Day!
Attention Florida Residents! Disney World has a new offer just for you! Florida residents can purchase a 4-Day Disney Weekday Magic Ticket for just $59 per day, plus tax (total price: $235 plus tax). Or, choose from specially priced 2-day and 3-day tickets!
Explore pricing and dates for Florida Resident Disney Weekday Magic Tickets:
Florida Resident Disney Weekday Magic Tickets are valid for admission to one theme park per day (theme park reservations are required and are subject to availability). Tickets and add-on options expire on December 22, 2023. All tickets and options are nontransferable and nonrefundable, and exclude activities/events separately priced or not open to the general public. View Important Details
Your Clients can also choose a Disney Weekday Magic Ticket that includes these great options:
Park Hopper Option — $40 More Per ticket, Plus Tax. Visit more than one theme park on the same day. You must make a theme park reservation for each date of your visit.
Water Park and Sports Option — $35 More Per ticket, Plus Tax. Visit one theme park per day. Plus, get a certain number of visits to a water park, golf course, or miniature golf course based on the length of your ticket. For example, if you purchase a 4-Day Florida Resident Disney Weekday Magic Ticket with the Water Park and Sports Option, you can visit a Walt Disney World theme park on 4 days with a theme park reservation—and visit a Disney water park on 4 additional days by December 22, 2023.
Park Hopper Plus Option — $55 More Per Ticket, Plus Tax. Visit more than one theme park on the same day. Plus, get a certain number of visits to a water park, golf course, or miniature golf course based on the length of your ticket. This option is a combination of the Park Hopper Option and the Water Park and Sports Option. You must make a theme park reservation for each date of your visit.
Florida Resident Disney Weekday Magic Tickets are valid for admission to one theme park per day (theme park reservations are required and are subject to availability).
Tickets and add-on options expire on December 22, 2023.
All tickets and options are nontransferable and nonrefundable, and exclude activities/events that are separately priced or not open to the general public.
Both a theme park reservation and a valid theme park ticket for the same park on the same date are required for each person in your party ages 3 and up. Theme park reservations are limited and are subject to availability. View the reservation availability calendar.
Tickets are valid for use Monday to Friday from October 2, 2023 through December 22, 2023.
Admission is subject to capacity closures and other restrictions.
Parks, attractions, and other offerings are subject to availability, closures, and change or cancellation without notice or liability. Admission to a theme park is not guaranteed.
For more information fill out the form below and one of the wonderful agents at Destinations to Travel will be in touch.
Disney Visa Cardmembers: Save Up to 35% on Rooms at Select Disney World Resort Hotels in Early 2024
Stay in the magic at Walt Disney World Resort! Disney Visa Cardmembers can save on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels in early 2024.
Save up to 35% on stays most Sunday through Thursday nights from January 9, 2024, through February 22, 2024; and most nights from February 25, 2024, through March 24, 2024
Save up to 20% on stays most Friday and Saturday nights from January 12, 2024 through February 24, 2024
Plus, enjoy Cardmember-exclusive savings on select nights at:
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – Family Suites (save up to 30%)
When you stay at a Disney Resort hotel, you can enjoy the same legendary detail, storytelling and service found in the theme parks—along with an array of benefits.
This offer is valid for the Disney Resort hotels listed below. View the chart to explore savings.
The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same room. Length of stay requirements may apply.
Valid Travel Dates
Stays select nights January 9, 2024 through March 24, 2024
Length of Stay Requirements
Minimum – 1 night
Maximum – 14 nights
Important Details
Must use a valid Disney® Visa® Card or Disney Rewards Redemption Card to pay the deposit.
Disney® Visa® Cardmember must stay in the room.
Additional per-adult charges may apply if more than 2 adults per room at Disney Value, Moderate, and Deluxe Resorts, and Studios at Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts.
Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.
Advance reservations are required.
Offer excludes the following room types: 3-bedroom villas, Tower Studios at Disney’s Riviera Resort, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, and The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.
Valid admission is required to enjoy theme parks and is not included in this offer. Beginning January 9, 2024, theme park reservations will no longer be required for date-based tickets. For other admission types, theme park reservations may be required.
For more information fill out the form below and one of the wonderful agents at Destinations to Travel will be in touch.
Disney Plans on Doubling Down on Parks Investments over the Next 10 Years
The Walt Disney Company has unveiled ambitious plans to significantly boost investment in its Parks, Experiences, and Products segment. Over the next approximately 10 years, Disney aims to nearly double its capital expenditures, targeting an impressive figure of around $60 billion. This substantial investment will encompass various initiatives, including the expansion and enhancement of both domestic and international parks and cruise line capacities.
Top Disney executives, including CEO Bob Iger and Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro, have convened with Wall Street analysts and investors at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. This gathering marks an investor summit dedicated to Disney’s Parks business, highlighting the company’s track record of strategic and impactful investments that leverage the vast and continually growing library of Disney stories—a strategy that has proven remarkably successful.
At the heart of this growth strategy lies a firm commitment to stories, scale, and fans, reinforcing Disney’s dedication to delivering exceptional experiences and entertainment to its global audience.
All over the world, Disney leverages its incomparable library of intellectual property through immersive storytelling experiences in its Parks and Resorts, on board its cruise ships, and through its consumer products and licensing business. The Parks business serves as a powerful platform where Disney’s beloved stories come to life in innovative ways, and where fans across generations and geographies can connect with and explore the Disney brands and franchises they love, from Avatar to Zootopia, and everything in between.
Disney continuously reimagines its theme park offerings to appeal to more guests by incorporating new stories from its popular films and series. Disney Parks has seen growth following previous periods of significant investment, which included the additions of Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort and Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris, and more.
Today, as Disney considers future growth opportunities, there is a deep well of stories that have yet to be fully explored in its theme parks.
Already, new Frozen-themed lands are coming to Hong Kong Disneyland, Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris and Tokyo Disney Resort, as well as a Zootopia-themed land at Shanghai Disney Resort. However, Disney will explore even more characters and franchises, including some that haven’t been leveraged extensively to date, as it embarks on a new period of significant growth domestically and internationally in its parks and resorts.
Today, Disney has the largest physical footprint of any global theme park travel business, with 12 parks across six sites around the world.[1] Its newest resort, Shanghai Disney Resort, opened in 2016. Disney Cruise Line visits 94 ports in 40 countries, and Disney’s industry-leading consumer products division brings Disney IP into fans’ homes across the globe.
Notably, Walt Disney World Resort is twice the size of the island of Manhattan, Disneyland is the most “Instagrammed” place on Earth, and tens of millions of guests travel on Disney’s transportation networks each year.
Disney’s Parks business is a key driver of value creation for the company, and positive segment results in recent past quarters through FY23Q3 have come in part from strong performance at Disney’s international parks, particularly those in Asia. Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland, which have both shown meaningful growth coming out of the pandemic through Q3 FY23, have even further growth opportunities with the expansions set to open later this year.
However, in addition to development plans already underway, there is significant room for further expansion on land and at sea. In fact, Disney Parks has over 1,000 acres of land for possible future development to expand theme park space across its existing sites – the equivalent of about seven new Disneyland Parks.
Meanwhile, Disney Cruise Line serves as a powerful ambassador for the brand in ports and markets around the globe beyond its theme parks, including Australia and New Zealand for the first time later this year, extending the reach of Disney’s high-quality experiences. As previously announced, over the next two years, Disney will nearly double the worldwide capacity of its cruise line, adding two ships in fiscal year 2025 and another in 2026, delivering even further growth potential and introducing new markets to Disney experiences, including a new homeport in Singapore beginning in 2025 to expand its reach further into the Asia-Pacific region.
Fans
Today, Disney has seven of the top ten most attended theme parks in the world, including Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park, which has been the #1 attended theme park on earth for decades. Disney Parks welcomes approximately 100 million guests each year.
Yet there is still enormous untapped potential for reaching more consumers. According to Disney’s internal research, there is an addressable market of more than 700 million people with high Disney affinity it has yet to reach with its Parks. In fact, for every one guest who visits a Disney Park, there are more than ten people with Disney affinity who do not visit the Parks.[2]
As Disney expands its footprint and offerings, not only will the company be able to reach more of its existing fans, but it will create new fans and loyal consumers.
As the company develops plans to accelerate and expand investment in its Parks business, it looks forward to introducing fans to more of the most powerful characters and stories, expanding its global footprint, advancing its state-of-the-art commercial capabilities, and leveraging its unmatched global talent to forge new relationships with new generations of fans around the world.
Work is in progress on the Bowes Signature Candles Store, coming to the location that formerly housed Sosa Family Cigars at Disney Springs
Late last year, we reported the Sosa Family Cigar shop at Disney Springs will be closing after 25 years. We can now report that Bowes Signature Candles will be the next occupant of this space, with work on the store already in progress!
Bowes Signature Candles was already selling items at the Disney Springs Marketplace Co-Op and Disney’s Days of Christmas at Disney Springs. The candle shop, which is local to the Orlando area, offers a variety of candles, wax melts, and scents.
The former Sosa Family Cigar Shop is currently being renovated for Bowes Signature Candles. Construction walls are up, preventing us from being able to see the progress inside. The store is currently expected to open sometime this year.
Ready to book your next magical vacation, but don’t know where to start? Want to enjoy a Walt Disney World vacation without the stress of planning, booking, and tracking trip changes and promotions? Contact me today! As an agent with Destinations To Travel specializing in Disney destinations, I can help you stress less and enjoy your vacation more! The best part? My services are provided at NO ADDITIONAL COST when you book your Disney vacation package through me!
