Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop!!

For this week, the Wordless Wednesday theme is June Calendar Shots:

Looking at this picture would make me happy for the whole month of June!! 

Thank you Deb at Focused on the Magic for hosting!! :) 

WDW & DL refurbishment updates

Walt Disney World®

Magic Kingdom® Park

Main Street Bakery

01/12/13 - 06/18/13

Big Thunder Mountain

06/22/13 - 6/23/13

Pirates of the Caribbean

07/27/13 - 07/30/13

Epcot®

Epcot Character Spot

10/21/12 - TBD

Fountainview Ice Cream Shop

04/08/13 - Fall

France Ice Cream Shop

02/25/13 - June

Disney's Hollywood Studios®

American Idol

06/10/13 - 06/12/13

Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park

None

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park

None

Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park

None

 Disney's All Star Sports Resort

End Zone Food Court - transportation from the porte cochere will be provided to Disney's All-Star Music Resort and Disney's All-Star Movies Resort where Guests can dine at the Intermission Food Court or World Premier Food Court

08/04/13 - 12/20/13

Arcade - closed during this time frame as it will be used as a temporary Food Court with "Grab & Go" items

08/04/13 - 12/20/13

Disney's Contemporary Resort

California Grill

02/02/13 - Late Summer 2013

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Beach Pool & Slide - The Courtyard Pool will remain open during this time

05/27/13 - 05/31/13

Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort

The Spa at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort - Guests may be referred to Senses - A Disney Spa at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort for spa services.

01/16/13 - Summer 2013

Downtown Disney® Area

None

Golf Courses/Miniature Golf

None

Disneyland®

Disneyland Park

Now – Oct. 30, 2013: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be closed for 

refurbishment. 

Now – January 2014: Starcade second floor will be closed.

Now – Jan 15, 2015: Market House / Disneyana down until further notice. Reopening to be announced. 

May 20-23, 2013: Tom Sawyer’s Island Cider Mill will remain open.

Hidden Mickeys.... and not so Hidden Mickeys

We love Hidden Mickeys in my family! There are so many out there from the different silhouettes and can be found anywhere... here are some fun Hidden.. and not so Hidden... Mickeys. 

Some Hidden Mickeys are handmade...

Some are too cute for words...

Some are good enough to eat...

 Some are as big as your head...

Some you find at home and smile thinking of Disney.... 

Some are very well hidden and take some work to find... 

No matter where you find your Hidden Mickeys we hope they bring a smile to your face!! 

Have a MAGICAL Day!

Chrissie

**There's still plenty of time to book and plan a MAGICAL Disney Vacation with Pirates and Pixie Dust Vacations! My services are FREE to you with any Disney Vacation Package, Resort Reservation or Disney Park Ticket for Walt Disney World and Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line and Adventure by Disney that you book through me! 

There are great promotions to help you SAVE on your Walt Disney World Vacation from 6/14-9/28! I would love to book and plan your MAGICAL Disney vacation with you!! 

There are some great deals out there for Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line as well!

Free Dining! Room Discounts! AMAZING SUMMER DEALS for WDW!

I've been on hold with Disney for a little over an hour now to save existing Pirates and Pixie Dust Vacations clients lots of money with the new FREE DINING and Room Discount Promotions released to the general public today!!

If you're interested in a vacation at Walt Disney World® between 9/2 and 9/25 you can benefit from the FREE DINING offer! For stays in the Value Resorts you get a FREE QUICK SERVICE Dining Plan and for stays in MODERATE/DELUXE/DELUXE VILLA RESORTS you get a FREE DISNEY DINING PLAN!!

If you aren't traveling between those September dates you can still benefit from a ROOM PROMOTION! Save up to 30% on select resorts most nights from 8/15-9/28! Check out the chart below for information regarding which resorts are available!

AVAILABILITY IS EXTREMELY LIMITED!! Please contact me TODAY to book and plan your MAGICAL Disney Vacation!! piratesandpixiedustvacations@gmail.com or 347-909-0893

There's still time to get in on the Early Summer Room Promotion as well - most nights from 6/13-8/14! This promotion must be booked by 6/14 :)

Disney Visa Late Summer/Early Fall Discount

Disney Visa Card Holders have we got an offer for you!!! Not one but TWO offers from Disney... 

***FREE DINING dates 9/2/13 - 9/25/13. Value Resorts can upgrade from the FREEE Quick Service Plan and Moderate and Deluxe Resorts can upgrade from the FREE Disney Dining Plan! Room and Ticket packages must be booked at full price and everyone in the resort room MUST be on the same package! At least a 3 night stay and a 2 day park ticket must be purchased in order to qualify for Free Dining. Fort Wilderness Campgrounds and Little Mermaid rooms in Art of Animation are excluded.

***Room Promotion for stays most nights 8/15/13 - 9/28/13. Discounts vary by resort - See the chart below to view the % off resort rooms! Yes, you can add tickets to make this a package!! 

Additional per-adult charges may apply if more than two adults per room at Disney Value, Moderate and Deluxe Resorts. Excludes 3-bedroom villas, campsites and is not valid at Disney's Art of Animation Resort – The Little Mermaid standard rooms. Deposit must be made at the time of booking with your Disney's Visa Card or Disney Rewards Redemption Card. Subject to availability.

AVAILABILITY IS VERY LIMITED on both of these offers!!

If you're a Disney Visa Cardholder e-mail me TODAY for your Free, no obligation quote! If you're not a Disney Visa Cardholder send me an e-mail with the details of a trip you'd like me to quote and I will quote it for you when there's a general public promotion released!

Why wait on hold for hours when I can do that for you?? E-mail me at piratesandpixiedustvacations@gmail.com or call 347-909-0893

Have a MAGICAL day! 

~~Chrissie

Disney Dollars

Disney Dollars are 'Disney currency' that can be used in the Disney parks and resorts. They were really popular years ago and have been making a comeback despite the widely used Disney Gift Cards.

This year Disney Dollars are available in both Disney hero and villain themes and they come in $1 denominations. They can be purchased at Guest Services in any of the Disney theme parks, at any Walt Disney World® resort and at the World of Disney Store in Downtown Disney.

Many people purchase Disney Dollars for souven-ears during their Disney vacations but many parents are now purchasing them to teach kids the value of money on their Disney vacation. Disney Dollars are a great way to have your kids decide when and where they spend their vacation allowance or they can save birthday and allowances during the year to exchange for Disney Dollars to spend on their Disney vacation. If your child is old enough to take control of a purchase him/herself, have them check that they were given the correct amount of change! Once they realize that spending their Disney Dollars on souvenirs means that they are going to be limited in their purchases they will really learn to control their buying of souvenirs they might like to have vs. souvenirs that they REALLY want.

See, Disney is full of fun, MAGIC and learning ;)

Have a MAGICAL day! 

Chrissie

Wordless Wednesday ~ C isn't just for cookie in Disney.. :)

Today's Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop's theme is

The Letter C

C isn't just for cookie in the Disney World... :) 

C is for... 

Captain Hook

The 3 CABALLEROS

China Pavillion

Funnel CAKE

CHIP!! :) 

Coronado Springs Resort

Clock

 Coca Cola

Cupcakes!! :)

Christmas... Disney style!! My favorite Downtown Disney shopping location!

Chicken Wings from 'Ohana

Carousel Rides

 Charming... in a Coach!!

 Chipmunks :) Chip & Dale

 Christmas stockings in Mickey's House... I miss ToonTown!

Cinderella's Castle... at Christmastime

 A Cruise ship! Well, kind of... 

 Cupcake creations :) 

Cinderella... can't have a Disney letter C theme without her!! 

Thank you to Focused on the Magic for hosting this Blog Hop!! :) 

Have a MAGICAL day!! 

~~Chrissie~~

PS... don't forget about our Pirates and Pixie Dust Vacations summer Birthday Wish... For every Disney vacation booked during Summer 2012 a percentage of my commission will be donated to St. Baldrick's Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research!!

Disney Wordless Wednesdays Blog Hop

I'm participating in The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop by Focused on the Magic.com!! Every week Disney bloggers post pictures for a blog hop and the pictures are typically based on a Disney theme!! 

The theme for this week's Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop, 7/18/12, is ~Disney Weenies~

I promise you, Disney Weenies aren't pictures of hot dogs you can get at Disney and they aren't pictures of someone ducking out of the Tower of Terror or Rock n Roller Coaster ride because they're scared! Nope, a Disney Weenie is what Walt Disney and the Disney Imagineers called the iconic structures in each of the parks and lands!! :) They can all be seen from a distance and they bring you in by their amazing looks!! So... there's the obvious Cinderella's Castle, Sleeping Beauty's Castle, The Tree of Life, Spaceship Earth, Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat, Space Mountain, Expedition Everest... just to name a few!! :) 

So this week, I'll be posting with the Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop tomorrow!! :) Can't wait for you to see the pictures I've gathered!! :) 

Disney World Free Dining Offer is here for Late Fall/Early Winter

Walt Disney World has announced a new round of the Disney Free Dining discount for the travel dates listed below. This is their Late Fall/Early Winter Free Dining Offer released on 7/12/12: 

You must check in during one of the following range of dates:

• September 30 – October 4, 2012
• October 19 – November 1, 2012
• November 9 – 15, 2012
• November 23 – 29, 2012
• December 10 – 13, 2012

Please remember, in order to qualify for the free dining offer, your must check in on one of the available dates. Your stay can extend outside of the available dates and you will still receive the free dining for your entire stay. For example, you can check in on November 15th and stay through November 22nd and still receive the Free Dining Offer for your entire stay.  

Also remember, availability is extremely limited, and not all resorts may be available. 

Guests staying at a Disney World Value resort will receive the Quick Service Dining Plan for free. The Walt Disney World value resorts include All-Star Sports, All-Star Music, All-Star Movies, Pop Century and Art of Animation. Art of Animation Standard Little Mermaid rooms are NOT included in this Free Dining Offer. Guests do have the option to upgrade to either the Disney Dining plan or the Deluxe Disney Dining plan by paying the price difference.

Guests staying at a Disney World Moderate, Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort will receive the Disney Dining Plan included for free. Disney World guests at moderate, deluxe and villa resorts will also have the option to book the Free Disney Dining Plan, and upgrade to the Disney Deluxe Dining for the normal price difference.

Availability is extremely limited, and vacations must be booked by September 29, 2012. All suites, campsites and 3 bedroom villas have been excluded from this offer, as well as the standard Little Mermaid rooms the new Art of Animation Resort. All other Disney resorts, including the family suites at All-Star Music and Art of Animation, as well as the other value resorts are included in the offer. 

There are a few requirements to book your stay with this offer:

• Three night minimum stay required
• Maximum stay of 14 nights is allowed per reservation
• You must also purchase a minimum 2 day basic park pass per person per reservation to qualify.
• As always, all members of the traveling party in the same room MUST be booking the same vacation tickets and dining options

To request a free quote for your Free Dining at Disney World Vacation (or any other Disney vacation!) please visit Pirates and Pixie Dust Vacations and Request a Quote today! You can also e-mail  Chrissie@piratesandpixiedustvacations.com or call 347-909-0893

Have a MAGICAL day!! 

Chrissie

Traveling with little Pirates and Pixies

Traveling with kids can be overwhelming. Traveling with babies can be downright frightening! Do you bring a car seat? Stroller? What about a bouncy seat or an Exersaucer? Does the hotel have high chairs for your room?

When you travel to Walt Disney World you can rest assured that there are plenty of options! Now, you don't NEED a car seat for the flight and you can't use one on the buses but if you're renting a car you can't drive off the lot without your precious Pirate or Pixie secured in an appropriate seat. Car rental companies rent out infant, convertible and booster seats. What do you do when you get to your resort room or your villa? 

You can borrow the following items from your Disney Resort: high chair, baby crib, bed rails, European electric adapters, hair dryer (if there's not one in your room), iron & ironing board (again, if there's not one in your room), sharps (hypodermic needle) disposal containers. These are all only available if supplies allow so be sure to note it on your reservation! 

If you don't want to chance that there won't be availability of a baby comfort item, have no fear... there are many different companies in the Orlando Area that have baby items for rent... and they deliver RIGHT to your Disney resort or villa!! Yep, you can rent strollers, exersaucers, high chairs, booster seats, Bumbo seats, DVD players, baby monitors and so much more. You can even rent rocking chairs if you have real little ones that you want to rock to sleep at night after a fun day at the parks! :)

After Garden Grocer (we'll cover this AMAZING service in another blog post) this is one of my favorite conveniences when we're on a Disney World vacation!! Check out these rental companies for your next Disney World vacation and stop stressing about your little Pirate or Pixie's comfort!! :)  

A Baby's Best Friend: http://www.abbf.com/index.html  (We've used A Baby's Best Friend before and been thrilled with their services! :) )

Kingdom Strollers: http://kingdomstrollers.com/

Orlando Stroller Rentals: http://www.orlandostrollerrentals.com/ (they even have the Liberty Special Needs Push Chair!)

Baby's Away: http://www.babysaway.com/index.php

Have a MAGICAL Day!! :) 

~~Chrissie

A little Pixie Dust and some Birthday Magic

Since my business' name is Pirates and PIXIE DUST Vacations and I LOVE helping people to create MAGICAL Disney memories I thought it only fit to do something for my birthday that can spread Pixie Dust to families, like mine, that need it. My 6 year old has cancer. In medical-ese he has 'Unclassifiable LeptoMeningial Disease'. In 'regular terms', they don't know what kind of cancer it is but it's coating his brain and spine. He's a wonderful little boy. He's a fighter and he, along with all of the children diagnosed with cancer, are amazing. Our families need a cure for our kids. The only way to find a cure is through research. While the government cuts research funding for Childhood Cancer and while other foundations allot only $0.10 for every dollar raised to Childhood Cancer there's one foundation has raised the bar on funding Childhood Cancer Research. That Foundation is:

The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. St. Baldrick’s Foundation currently funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the U.S. government. As a Volunteer Event Organizer (VEO) I, along with a committee of amazing family and friends, run an event in Rockaway Beach, NY. Last year our event raised over $128,000! I like to tell people we raised over 128,000 glimmers of HOPE for us and the other families who are in this battle with us. St. Baldrick's Foundation is best known for their world-wide signature head-shaving events where individual event where volunteers get bald to stand in solidarity with kids fighting cancer and raise money to support life-saving childhood cancer research. I run one of these in September. Our event is called Hope is in the hAir. This year we are holding our event on 9/15/2012 at Bungalow Bar & Restaurant in Rockaway Beach, NY. It's going to be another awesome day full of love, support, hope and in honor of 5 amazing kids! These kids are my son, Mikey and his friends, Emily, Eddie, Ty and Evan. Evan passed away on April 16th so our day is not only in honor of these amazing 5 kids but in memory of Evan as well. So, in honor of my birthday this coming Saturday I've decided to give myself a birthday present! To spread some Pixie Dust and HOPE to our families... and to help St. Baldrick's Foundation make my WISH come true, here's my birthday present to me: For every Disney Vacation booked through Pirates and Pixie Dust Vacations between June 1st and August 30th, not only will you get my booking and planning services at NO cost to you but, I will donate 10% of that trip's commission to St. Baldrick's Foundation! I will get to do what I love, helping people plan MAGICAL Disney Vacations, while helping Mikey, his friends and all of the kids diagnosed with cancer have just a little more HOPE!

So, Happy Birthday to ME!! Contact me TODAY to get started planning your MAGICAL Disney Vacation and know that when you book, you will be helping me spread some Pixie Dust and HOPE to thousands of families just like mine!! Happy Planning and Don't forget... If you keep on believing the dream that you wish will come true Love, HOPE & Pixie Dust, Chrissie

Fun WDW Parks Souven-EARS Gift Bag Giveaway!

Before I left for Disney World I spoke to quite a few of the other agents that I work with through Fairytale Journeys. I offered to do some shopping while I was in the World (not exactly a chore for me, as you all well know ;)) and bring back the purchases that I made to be able to offer a Sounven-EAR Gift Bag Giveaway to all of you! Check out our raffle here... you can enter to win 14 times! :) Be sure to enter... and tell all your friends about the awesome prizes included in our giveaway!! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you all so much!! Good luck to all of you that enter! Have a MAGICAL day! ~~Chrissie

Back from my vacation... and I have TONS of pictures to share!!

Hi all..

Well, I must tell you, while I'm the first to say that seeing Walt Disney World through the eyes of your child is an amazing feeling... seeing Walt Disney World without a stroller and a diaper bag can be just as rewarding! :)

I was lucky enough to be visiting 'The World' during Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival! I'm going to share just some of the AMAZING Character Topiary that the Disney Imagineers were able to make with you!

I'll be back updating more about my trip and to bring you a FUN and MAGICAL giveaway sponsored by some of the Fairytale Journeys agents and myself of WDW Parks Merchandise valued at over $75!! :)

Enjoy!

Have a MAGICAL day!

~~Chrissie