Disney ends free ticket program after 1 million volunteers sign up

by Leigh Caldwell on

Disney Parks announced Tuesday that the company’s goal of recruiting 1 million people to donate their time and get a 1-day ticket to Disney in return has been reached, and the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” promotion is ending.

Those participating in the program signed up to volunteer through the nationwide HandsOn Network. Although volunteer registration has ended, those who completed their volunteer activity still have until Dec. 15 to use their free park ticket at Walt Disney World or Disneyland.

In 2009, Disney distributed 1.2 million free tickets to anyone who went to one of their U.S. theme parks on his or her birthday. That’s about 100,000 per month. The volunteer promotion was getting 100,000 participants per week this year.

At a media event last month at Walt Disney World, Disney officials admitted they were “overwhelmed” by this response.

No word yet on what will happen to the daily “pre-parade” in the Magic Kingdom that is designed to celebrate the promotion. It was the first new use of the Muppets at Walt Disney World in several years, and I hope that the promotion’s end doesn’t relegate Miss Piggy back to her dressing room.%Gallery-86600%

Before you go, be sure to check out Episode 4 of Gadling’s Travel Talk TV, which features good and bad pilots, Holi, and a sofa in an aquarium!

Get your Disney deals and resources from AOL Travel

by Scott Carmichael on

When it comes to Disney, I’m rather weird – I can recite almost all of Finding Nemo, but I’ve only ever managed to visit their theme parks once. Thankfully my daughter is now at the age where a trip to Disney is going to have to be on the agenda pretty soon, or I suspect there will be rioting.

Our friends at AOL Travel have compiled a fantastic collection of Disney resources. Their articles can help with everything from where to find the best deals, to picking the best time of year to visit Disney World.

The main information hub also offers a great gallery of images from some of the lesser known attractions. Take for example the Richard Petty Driving Experience or the Disney Wide World of Sports – two attractions I had never heard of.

So, next time you start researching Disney, head on over to the Disney pages at AOL Travel. From the main Disney hub, you can also research Disney Cruise Lines, Disney Adventures or the Disney Vacation Club. The pages are easy to navigate and thanks to the daily updated deals, you’ll be able to research and book all from the same site.

Theme park news roundup: Harry Potter, robot rides and cheesy grub(s!)

by Gadling Staff on

Here’s what’s happening in theme park news this week.

Robot Land announced (Incheon, South Korea)
South Korea will be home to the world’s first robot theme park when Robot Land opens in Incheon in 2012. Robot Land will have a robotic arm ride, tributes to robot-themed movies such as “Matrix” and “Minority Report,” and robot employees and performers. A national robotics lab and office complexes will also be built on the 110-acre site.

The park will cost $562 million, with 87 percent coming from private investors and the remainder from the government, according to English-language newspaper The Korea Herald. Incheon, South Korea’s third largest city, is home to many high-tech businesses. Not surprisingly, Robot Land sounds like it’s trying to attract a different crowd than nearby Love Land.

Chessington World of Adventures tries new, gross snacks (London, England)
When the urge for a theme-park snack strikes this summer, you may be able to pass up the ice cream bars and funnel cake in favor of bacon-flavored crickets, cheesy grubs and chocolate ants. Chessington World of Adventures tested the unusual menu on February 18. The theme park just outside London is considering making the snacks part of the regular menu in its new Wild Asia section when it opens for the season on March 27.

Wild Asia will include a new spinning disc ride, the KOBRA, and a walk-through Lorikeet aviary. The Yorkshire Post reports that the insect snacks got rave reviews from testers. And lest you worry about exactly where those ants you eat are coming from, the newspaper reports that all the insects are “ethically sourced” (unlike these “8 great bug-eating videos from around the world”).
Wizarding World of Harry Potter details emerge (Orlando, FL, USA)
It looks like that promised spring opening for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will happen in May. Universal Orlando Resort has started selling vacation packages themed to the opening of the new “park within a park” at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. The packages, which include hotel, park tickets and souvenirs and a breakfast, can be booked for travel beginning May 28. Pricing starts at $1,548 for a family of four (read more about the package here).

Universal Orlando is quick to say that May 28 is not the official opening date for the park, but the release of these packages is the first definitive sign as to when Harry Potter fans will be able to visit the village of Hogsmeade in Orlando. When the Wizarding World is complete, it will have three rides, a new restaurant (“Three Broomsticks”) and shops.

Adventureland burns (Altoona, IA, USA)
A toy store, arcade, restaurant and bingo parlor burned at Adventureland amusement park on February 20. The Altoona, Iowa, park known for its Tornado roller coaster was closed for the season and empty when the fire broke out, but an adjacent hotel was evacuated as a precaution.

The Des Moines Register reports that the burned buildings on Adventureland’s Main Street were built in 1974 and were not equipped with sprinkler systems. Park officials say that Adventureland will reopen for the season in April as previously planned.

“Captain EO” returns (Anaheim, CA, USA)
The Michael Jackson 3-D film “Captain EO” returns to the Magic Eye Theater at Disneyland on Feb. 23. The 17-minute sci-fi movie first debuted at the Anaheim, Calif., theme park in October 1986, the same week the National Enquirer printed a famous photo of Jackson sleeping in a futuristic hyperbaric sleeping chamber.

The movie follows Captain EO (Jackson) and his crew as they travel to a distant planet to deliver a gift to a wicked alien queen, played by Anjelica Huston. George Lucas produced the film, which reportedly cost more than $1 milliion per minute to make. On the Disney Parks blog, Disneyland PR manager Heather Hurst Rivera said the movie will be shown from a new 70mm print and that acoustic improvements to the theater since the original run will make “Captain EO” “sound better than ever.” The movie’s original Disneyland run ended quietly in 1997. Disney officials have been mum on how long the movie’s revival will last or whether “EO” will also return to Walt Disney World’s EPCOT, where it played from 1986-1994.

Waldameer going cashless (Erie, PA, USA)
Waldameer patrons won’t need a dime to visit the Erie, Penn., amusement park this year, but they will need Wally Points. Waldameer has announced that the park is going completely cashless.

Instead of the green stuff, park guests will load a plastic card or wristband with Wally Points, which are named after the park mascot Wally Bear. The points will cost $1 each. Waldameer owner Paul Nelson told the Erie Times-News that the move will save money by giving the business tighter control over its cash.

Wild Adventures rocks (Valdosta, GA, USA)
Lynyrd Skynyrd, Wynonna and Steven Curtis Chapman will headline concerts at the Wild Adventures theme park this season. The Valdosta, Ga., water and theme park announced that it will open for the year on March 6.

Three new rides will debut next month, and the park’s beloved wooden coaster, The Cheetah, will trot out its new, smoother ride thanks to a $1 million refurbishment. Wild Adventures concerts are free with park admission, but (better) reserved seats are available for $10.

Darien Lake Theme Park expands (Darien Center, NY, USA)
The Darien Lake Theme Park Resort has filed plans to build a new $7 million water park area called Pirates Cove. New attractions at the Darien Center, N.Y., resort would include a Lazy River, a 50-foot-high water slide and a FlowRider, which produces waves that riders can surf in a contained environment. The Genesee County Planning Board has given the Pirates Cove site plan a preliminary approval, according to the Batavia (N.Y.) Daily News.

[Lead photo courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/bistrosavage/ / CC BY 2.0]

Get tips on visiting Disney with a special needs child at Mouse-Aid

by Katie Hammel on

Disneyland and Disney World are supposed to be the happiest places on Earth. Every child wants to go to this place of wonder and excitement, and special needs children are no exception. But for parents of these children, the thought of organizing a trip may seem like a far too difficult task. That’s where the Mouse-Aid website comes in.

The website is not affiliated with Disney, but it is designed to help parents of children with special needs negotiate the obstacles to taking their kids on a Disney vacation. There are tips for travel, packing, get around the parks, dining and choosing a room, and what issues parents of special needs kids should consider The special needs covered range from physical and mental disabilities to ADHD and terminal illness.

For many parents, the most helpful part of the site might be the forums. Here parents can discuss the issues important for their children, like which rides might scare kids frightened of the dark. They can also find support in parents dealing with similar issues as themselves. As the aunt of a special needs child, I’ve seen how just knowing that there are other parents who understand your situation can be a big help in and of itself. If you are the parent of a child with special needs, and you are planning a trip to a Disney theme park, it might be worth checking out the Mouse-Aid site.

10 ways to not break your travel resolutions

by Jamie Rhein on

You’ve made your travel resolutions, but how do you keep them? We all know the resolution drill. Sometime around the end of December, in the glow of holiday cheer when all things seem possible, we make a list of how we’ll improve. As travelers, perhaps we leaf through a copy of 1000 Places to See Before You Die and make a list of our own must see places. Or we decide that we’ll travel smarter. We’ll travel greener. We’ll be the best traveler there is.

Then roundabout January 5, the glow is gone and it’s same old same old. Your travel habits are the same they’ve always been except for perhaps a tweak or two.

There are things you can do to break your travel pattern. It has to do with your thinking. Here are 10 thoughts to keep you traveling and happy with your resolutions intact.

1. Be flexible: Let’s say you decide that you really, really, really need that trip to Hawaii. Only that trip to Hawaii will do. But round about February, it’s clear you don’t have the money to get to Hawaii. Flexibility allows you to pick another destination within your financial reach. However, you understand that not going to Hawaii this year doesn’t mean you are never going. This trip could be your pre-Hawaii trip. Voila! Your resolution to make to Hawaii is still intact.

2. Ignore aches and pains: So, you have a bit of a backache. Your joints slow you down. Your feet hurt when you walk a lot. You need a hip replacement. Go on that rafting trip anyway if it’s that once in a lifetime opportunity. Here’s the thing. You can ache at home on the couch, or you can ache in an unusual destination or on that trip you’ve always wanted. This happened to us two summers ago. My hubby’s hip was not doing him any favors but we had an opportunity to go on a group five day raft trip on the Smith River in Montana. We took the trip with my husband as one of the main rafting guides. His hip is now replaced. Six weeks after his operation this year we took a three week road trip through the West. Not to brag, or anything, but if you knew us, if we can do it, so can you.

3. Don’t give up easily: You have a trip planned, but it seems that life is not helping you out one bit. Your car, for example, needs unexpected work. Or you’re toilet on the second floor has leaked enough that your kitchen ceiling has caved in a tad. Mop up the floor, find a mechanic who can fix that car lickety-split and hit the road. Keep saying to yourself that life is not telling you to not go on the trip, but your resolve is being tested. Go, man! Go!

4. If it’s raining–so what? You’ve planned a day at the beach, or you’re heading to Disneyland–or you’re going to visit the Statue of Liberty. This is the one day you can make it to this outdoor destination. Don’t whine about it. Get out the umbrella, wear a pair of shoes that can get wet and head out the door. If you’re going to an amusement park, believe me. There are rain ponchos to be bought there. The beauty of a rainy day is that ride lines are not so long. As for the beach, enjoy the solitude. Also, it may not rain all day.

5. Be delighted with the cheapest thing on the menu— You are on a tight budget and the place you are going is not known for being inexpensive. Go anyway, but aim for the cheapest thing you can do while there. What’s free? Visiting religious places is free. Walking is free. Parks are free. Going in and out of stores is free. Some museums are much cheaper than others. Go to the cheap ones. When eating out, look for the cheapest thing on the menu, it’s yours. The whole time you are on this trip, be happy you are on this trip. Don’t keep saying if only I had enough money to do or buy . . .Be happy, for heavens sake!

6. Nothing is perfect–Don’t aim for a trip to be perfect. If something has to be perfect, you can be derailed before you start. If what you have in mind is not possible, look forward to the surprises you’ll find when the trip is not just the way you wanted it. It could be better. If it’s worse, what a great story you can tell others. People love worse travel stories better than the best times ever stories.

7. Just because you have kids doesn’t mean you can’t travel–The worst advice I ever heard was “Travel now because when you have kids, it all changes.” Harumph! Not true. If you ignore all these other resolutions, maybe that person is right, but kids will travel if you travel. When my son was three months old, we went to Thailand for several days. Once when our daughter was five and she was pulling her pull behind suitcase through Narita Airport in Tokyo, she exclaimed, “I want to travel the world.” We’ve done a pretty good job of it so far.

8. Just because your significant other has different travel likes doesn’t mean you can’t travel— Just because you have a partner, doesn’t mean you’re a salt and pepper shaker set that always has to be together. If you have different ideas about what to do on a trip, pick places that have things for both of you. Meet up at night after a satisfying day. If your partner doesn’t want to head home for the holidays but wants to go to Myanmar instead, don’t see who can get the other to bend first. Do what’s in your heart. You’ll both end up merry and bright.

9. Be open to opportunities–When any one ever says, would you like to go to–or an opportunity you hadn’t thought of before comes up, say yes. This adage has found me in Mexico building houses, on a six-week trip Rotary club trip to Nigeria, on a 7-day cruise to Greece from Venice, at my Danish family’s 50th wedding anniversary celebration in Denmark and Los Angeles meeting Mark Saltzman, one of my favorite authors.

10. Let the house go for a change–Do not ever not go somewhere because the house is a mess. Sure don’t let it go to seed, but seriously, does the vacuuming have to be done today? Don’t’ let the list of things that need to get done keep you a prisoner. Schedule your must do things, around travel. Keep resolution Number 1 in mind.

Here’s to happy travel in 2010 with your resolutions in tact. It is your life after all.