Did you know that 768 million vacation days went unused in 2018? Don’t let this happen to you too! Vacations are vital to our well being AND a necessity in life. At Vacations with Character®, we specialize in “ALL of the Happiest Places on Earth” and we’re here to help you plan a magical getaway! Here’s a SMALL sampling of special offers available today!
Universal Ticket Offer – 3rd Park Free plus EARLY ENTRYWalt Disney World – Magical Stay Delicious Dining Offer!Disney Cruise Line 50% off Deposits – Book Early and SaveDisney’s Aulani 30% off Sale
Princess Cruise Line Best Sale Ever!Royal Caribbean Explore More Sale 2020All Inclusive Vacation Deals for 2020
We have partnerships with ALL major cruise lines and work with only hand-picked preferred partners of All Inclusive Resorts in addition to Disney Destinations and Universal Orlando Resort!
Beaches Spring Break Sale 2020Carnival National Vacation Planning Day Sale
We are blessed to have 1000’s of wonderful clients, friends, and family trust us with their vacation plans each year and we hope you will too! Contact us by visiting our website and filling out a no-obligation quote form to reach one of our agents: https://vacationswithcharacter.net/ orsimply drop us a line!
Vacations with Character® has earned the distinction of being an Authorized Disney Vacation PlannerVacations with Character has earned the distinction of being Authorized Universal Travel Professional and TOP Seller of Travel to Universal Orlando ResortVacations with Character® is a Proud Member of the Cruise Lines International Association
Ready for Out-of-this-world adventure? Star Wars Day at Sea returns in2021 and it’s time to prepare for your journey to ‘summon the force’!
Disney Cruise Line guests can experience the legendary adventures and iconic characters from the Star Wars saga aboard a Disney Cruise Line ship in a day-long celebration: Star Wars Day at Sea. The event combines the power of the Force, the magic of Disney and the excitement of cruising for an out-of-this-galaxy experience unlike any other. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
This special day-long celebration is filled with unique character encounters, unforgettable live shows and Star Wars-themed activities for the entire family. Star Wars Day at Sea takes place on seven-night Disney Fantasy cruises to the Caribbean from January through March.
With more than a dozen of the galaxy’s most formidable and heroic characters onboard, you can meet with the best of the Resistance including Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2; come face-to-face with Darth Vader; and be on watch as Stormtroopers, Bounty Hunters and Jawas roam the ship.
Force-sensitive children learn the ways of the Jedi and use their new-found skills in a face-off against Darth Vader and Kylo Ren in Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple. The whole family can celebrate the greatest moments from the Star Wars galaxy with the “Summon the Force” deck party, complete with a fireworks show of galactic proportions.
Costume celebrations, movie screenings, trivia sessions, the Star Wars Drawing Academy and a ship-wide Porg-themed adventure are more of the ways you can feel the Force on Star Wars Day at Sea. Unique food and beverage and special merchandise are also available on these sailings in early 2021. TIP: The hallway music goes “Star Wars” and the ship’s horn even gets in on the action – something true fans won’t want to miss!
Star Wars Day at Sea Itineraries With cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, you can celebrate your love of the Star Wars saga and enjoy tropical destinations, coupled with classic Disney magic and entertainment all week long onboard the Disney Fantasy. All Star Wars Day at Sea sailings make a stop in Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas reserved exclusively for Disney Cruise Line guests, home to pristine beaches, crystal blue waters and fun-filled leisure and recreational activities for all ages.
And we have a great way to lay-a-way your vacation but you must hurry to get in on this offer*:
Star Wars Day at Sea will be offered on nine Disney Fantasy seven-night Caribbean cruises sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida.
Departing Jan. 2, Jan. 16, Jan. 30, Feb. 13 and Feb. 27, the Western Caribbean itinerary includes Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay.
Departing Jan. 9, Jan. 23 and Feb. 20, the Eastern Caribbean itinerary includes Tortola, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay.
Departing Feb. 6, the Eastern Caribbean itinerary includes St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay.
Contact us to book your 2021 adventure today. We have something for everyone — don’t forget to ask about Marvel Day At Sea too! And remember, the earlier you book, the more you’ll save! Visit us at https://vacationswithcharacter.net/ and click on “Book Your Vacation” to reach your favorite Travel Agent!
Vacations with Character® has earned the distinction of being an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Attention Star Wars fans! You can now reserve access to fly the “fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy” at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Read on for more information and TIPS on how to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance as well.
Inside Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Disney guests will take the controls in one of three unique and critical roles aboard the fastest ship in the galaxy when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens May 31, 2019, at Disneyland Resort in California and Aug. 29, 2019, at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. (Disney Parks) – Courtesy of Disney Travel News
FastPass+ reservations for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run are now available in the My Disney Experience app for those planning visits on or after Feb. 19.
Similar to other theme park offerings, when making FastPass+ plans for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you can select between either Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run or Slinky Dog Dash (pending availability). Then, you can add additional experiences to plans, including Toy Story Mania, Alien Swirling Saucers, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Fantasmic! and more.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run combines immersive storytelling with interactive game play and makes you the protagonist of your own Star Wars adventure! Read our previous blog for more details!
Also, please note that during the grand opening period of the popular new attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Disney will continue to operate a virtual queue. Here’s what you need to know in order to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. You must be prepared as it’s THE MOST difficult to ride due to the fact there are NO FastPass+ or standby lines.
Photo Courtesy of Disney Destinations
‘How to ride’ instructions might seem excessive, after all, isn’t it just a matter of getting in a line and waiting your turn?! Unfortunately, that would be a huge NO! Not at this time. Protocol and procedure for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is fairly unprecedented in a number of ways and is confusing even to long-time Disney fans.
If you simply show up at park opening for Disney’s Hollywood Studios and think you’re going to be able to ‘rope drop’ Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, you’re in for a huge disappointment. To the contrary, you’re almost guaranteed you won’t be riding if you “only” show up at the official opening time!!
There is a Virtual Queue for Rise of the Resistance. The virtual queue is the sole system for gaining a spot to ride. Rather than FastPass or a standby line, you join this virtual line via the My Disney Experience app and are notified when it’s your turn to ride. You can download this app on any mobile device. Here’s a peak:
Next, you need to understand there are Boarding Groups. For example, rather than having a set return time (as you do with FastPass+), you might be in boarding group 30. Your return time is not specified in advance, but rather, based upon how quickly the attraction cycles all guests through who are in front of you in the virtual queue.
TIP: Here’s the tricky part — in order to access the app and join the virtual queue, you must be IN the park first thing in the morning. Currently, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has had unannounced openings occurring at around 6:30 am regardless of the official park opening time. This is always subject to change so you may want to ask a Cast Member to confirm. Keep in mind, guests are lining up BEFORE this unofficial opening time as well outside of the gates. So, our best advice is you may want to arrive a little earlier than this to ensure you can get INTO the parks before official park opening.
Crowds at Hollywood Studios Lining up Before Unofficial Gate Opening Courtesy of Tracie Perkins
Once inside, you can walk through the gift shops on Hollywood Blvd. but you will be held there and not allowed to venture further into the park. It’s a good time to check and make sure your app is working properly and your reservations and/or park tickets are properly assigned (which you should already know by having selected your FastPass+ selections by now). Keep an eye on the time, however, because once the virtual queue opens, which happens at scheduled park opening time (i.e. if the official park opening time is 7 am, the virtual queue will open at 7 am), it opens for everyone also in the park and Boarding Groups fill up FAST and do run out. So, you’ll want to have your app open and be ready to click on the “Join Boarding Group” button!
Photo Courtesy of Vacations with Character®
TIP: if you are staying on property at an Epcot area resort, you may want to consider walking to Hollywood Studios. We do not recommend bus transportation or the Skyliner at this time. Personal car, Minnie Vans, or calling for a taxi are your best bets.
While we don’t expect the popularity of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance to die down anytime soon, once the hype does die down (as it’s done with Millennium Falcon) Disney states they may transition to FastPass+ in the future, so be sure to keep checking back for updates!
Epcot® is in the midst of an historic, multi-year transformation that is bringing a wide variety of exciting new attractions and experiences for you to enjoy this year!
Set to debut later this year is “Harmonious,”which will be one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney Park. As reported to us in Disney Travel News, the Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Parks Live Entertainment teams recently reached a major milestone in the development of the show and we are excited to share the news with you!
You’ll discover how Disney music has the power to inspire and unite everyone as “Harmonious” (an innovative show filled with choreographed moving fountains, colorful lights, custom-built LED panels, lasers, pyrotechnics and more) brings to life a beautifully-crafted, nighttime, dreamscape of Disney music and images, re-imagined by diverse cultural musicians and artists from all over the world.
You can catch an early glimpse of concepts for the show now by visiting ‘Walt Disney Imagineering Presents the Epcot Experience’, located in the Odyssey Events Pavilion or watch this short, sneak peak of what’s to come:
Visiting soon? Don’t worry, over the coming months as the show is being worked on behind the scenes and in the lagoon, you can still catch the limited-time spectacular “Epcot Forever, ” which has been described as a “love letter” to the park and tells the story of Epcot. Beginning with the first spark of inspiration and the opening day anthem, “We’ve Just Begun to Dream,” and continuing through chapters dedicated to the thematic pillars of innovation, exploration, imagination and celebration, it concludes with an all-new verse of the classic song, “One Little Spark,” leading into a spectacular grand finale promising “A Whole New World” of magical possibilities to come.
“Epcot Forever” is now showing nightly in World Showcase, and more will be shared on “Harmonious” in the months ahead as well!
Stay tuned to our blog for updates and more information to come. And if you’re interested in booking your vacation to any Disney Destination or beyond, our Vacations with Character® Travel Agents are here to help! We specialize in the happiest destinations on earth and although we never charge a fee, our experience and expertise are priceless! https://vacationswithcharacter.net/
Vacations with Character® has earned the distinction of being an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Celebrating the visual, culinary and performing arts is what it’s all about during the fourth Epcot® International Festival of the Arts and it’s time to ‘Get your Art On’!
This year, you can step inside NEW life-sized frames of Van Gogh’s famous Café Terrace at Night or Sunflowers paintings and star in an Artful Photo Op, taste culinary wonders presenting artfully crafted dishes and libations at the 12 festival Food Studios, watch talented artists at work, and even take home your favorite pieces. Then, after a full day of fun, you can grab a seat and be treated to an unforgettable, complimentary performance of the Disney on Broadway Concert Series!
Courtesy of Disney Travel News
Are you an artist yourself? Did you know you can exercise your own artistic talent at multiple interactive exhibits and workshops? There’s something for everyone, including families. Fun-filled activities include:
Figment’s Brush with the Masters’ scavenger hunt
Animation Academy at America Gardens Theatre
Expression Section: Paint-by-Number wall muralin Future World (so cool!)
Living Statues (laughs guaranteed!) in Future World East
Acrobatic performances of the Art Defying Gravity troupe at the World Showcase Plaza stage
Courtesy of Disney Travel News
Twelve Food Studios surrounding the World Showcase offer creative bites and refreshing sips for you to enjoy like these standouts:
Sous Vide Chicken Roulade at Pop Eats!
Vanilla, Rose Water and Pistachio Panna Cotta at The Masterpiece Kitchen
Rainboba sparkling water layered with Fruit Boba and topped with a Foam Cloud at The Deconstructed Dish (heavenly!)
Chocolate Flight of white, milk and dark chocolate at The Artist’s Table – (yum!)
And you won’t want to miss these brand-new permanent films debuting today around the park:
Courtesy of Disney Travel News
“Awesome Planet” at The Land pavilion, narrated by Ty Burrell (Modern Family), features spectacular imagery, in-theater effects, and an original musical score by Academy Award-winning composer Steven Price.
Courtesy of Disney Travel News
“Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360” in the Canada pavilion, narrated by award-winning actors Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy, presents breathtaking new scenes in this update of the original “O Canada!”
Courtesy of Disney Travel News
You’re invited to sing-along to a thrilling, new, animated twist on a “tale as old as time.” at the “Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along” in the France pavilion. Directed by Don Hahn, who produced the animated and live-action “Beauty and the Beast” films, it’s a “not-to-be-missed” experience! And, at the theater’s entrance, you can explore a new exhibit, “Tales as Old as Time: French Storytelling on Stage and Screen,” featuring a stunning display of ornate costumes, music and artwork dedicated to the adaptation of French literature in cinema, theater, ballet and opera. TIP: you won’t want to miss the glass slipper from the live-action “Cinderella” film or Belle’s costume from “Beauty and the Beast.” Community arts organizations from Florida also contributed pieces to the exhibit!
While visiting World Showcase, be sure to check out two new bands including Lebendig, an award-winning German pop rock band, who will perform their modern take on Germany’s well-known Schlager sound in the Germany pavilion. And in the Morocco pavilion, you can enjoy the creative mix of traditional Gnawa music and the current sounds of Morocco with Atlas Fusion.
Certain premium festival experiences, like Paint with a Disney Artist, interactive workshops featuring Ink & Paint Animation, 3D Paper Crafting, Gesture Drawing Basics, Animation 101 or Doodling (Saturday and Sunday only) are bookable in advance and do include a fee, or you can try your luck and sign up for openings still available on the day of your visit.
Epcot® International Festival of the Arts runs now through Feb. 24! Ask a Vacations with Character® Travel Agent for more information on how to book your Spring getaway to “the world” and experience all the festival has to offer! Visit our website for contact information or to request a quote: https://vacationswithcharacter.net/
Vacations with Character® has earned the distinction of being an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
The holidays are behind us and Spring will be here soon. What a better way to ring in 2020 than at the 25th annual Mardi Gras Celebration at Universal Orlando Resort? Laissez les bon temps rouler every night from February 1 through April 2, 2020!
Mardi Gras Parade Team Member – Universal Studios Florida USF Entertainment
Enjoy a fun-filled day of theme-park adventures and an evening of delightful festivity. Just as in past years, this family-friendly Mardi Gras soiree will feature mouthwatering, Cajun food plus dazzling nightly parades – and one of the most unforgettable concert lineups ever!
Mardi Gras Concert Stage – Universal Studios Florida USF Entertainment
Take a look at this star-studded concert line up! Who are you excited to see? Concerts begin at 8:30 pm on the following nights:
Who doesn’t love a parade?! Watch the confetti and countless beads fly while you enjoy colorful floats and costumes, stilt walkers, and street performers. You won’t want to miss this celebration! TIP: Ask about the kid-friendly special viewing area!!
Mardi Gras Parade Floats – Universal Studios Florida USF Entertainment
Vacations with Character® is an #AuthorizedUniversalOrlandoTravelPlanner and #UniversalAuthorizedTicketSeller. We also offer tickets that include EARLY PARK ADMISSION no matter where you stay! We never charge a fee and you’ll never pay more when booking with us. Plus, you’ll receive our tip sheets, a special park map, expert guidance and more!
We previously shared a ‘Delicious Deal’ that included a FREE Dining Plan last week. Today, we’re excited to announce THREE more amazing offers!
Courtesy of Disney Travel News – WDW – Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside – Food Court
Staying at a uniquely themed Disney Resort hotel gives you the opportunity to enjoy convenient benefits like reserving access to select FastPass+ experiences as early as 60 days prior to arrival, Extra Magic Hours and a variety of convenient transportation options. And saving on your next vacation is easy. Read on for more details!
1) Savor Your Summer with a Tasty Kid-Size Package Offer at Walt Disney World Resort*
Receive a FREE dining plan for children ages 3 to 9 when you purchase a non-discounted package for you and your kid(s) that includes a room at a select Disney Resort hotel, Theme Park tickets and a dining plan. This offer is valid for arrivals most nights from May 25 – Aug. 28, 2020. A minimum 2-night/2-day package is required, however, a 4 Night/4Day stay is suggested for maximum savings!
2) Bask in the Sun & Fun – Save Up to 25% on Rooms at a Disney Resort Hotel This Spring and Summer*
WDW – Sun and Fun Room Offer
If a package doesn’t fit your needs, we have another special offer for you! Save up to 25% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels for stays most nights April 1-Sep. 12, 2020.
Note: Both offers expire Feb. 26, 2020, however, the number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited so don’t delay or you may miss out!
3) Florida Residents: Save Up to 30% on Rooms at Select Disney Resort Hotels This Spring and Summer*
Are you a Florida Resident? Did you know you can save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels for stays most nights Apr. 1-Jul. 9, 2020 when you book through Jul. 9, 2020?
Vacations with Character® has earned the distinction of being an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
*Length-of-stay requirements may apply. Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same room. Additional per-adult charges may apply if more than two adults per room at Disney Value, Moderate, Deluxe and Studios at Deluxe Villa Resorts. Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. Advance reservations required. Offer excludes the following room types: campsites, 3-bedroom Grand Villas, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows. Displayed room savings are for select Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts; lower savings may be available at other select Resorts.
Create the perfect recipe for a memorable escape at Walt Disney World Resort! With this offer, you can enjoy a FREE dining plan when you purchase a non-discounted 5-night/6-day vacation package that includes a room at a select Disney Resort hotel and a ticket with Park Hopper option.
You must book through January 16, 2020 and this offer is good for arrivals most nights June 27 through 28, July 5 through 7, and August 29 through September 8, 2020.
As always, the number of rooms allocated for this offer is VERY limited. Everyone in the same room must be on the same package. Theme park tickets valid for admission beginning on date of check-in and must be used within 9 days of check-in.
Courtesy of Disney Travel News
Other Important Details:
This offer cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.
Advance reservations are required.
Theme park admission is required for some dining locations.
Some Table-Service restaurants may have limited or no availability at time of package purchase.
Children ages 3 to 9 must choose from the children’s menu, if available.
Gratuities are not included.
Everyone in the same room must be on the same package.
The offer excludes the following room types: 3-bedroom villas, campsites, Cabins at Copper Creek villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Bungalows at Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, Little Mermaid Standard Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.
