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Traveling with 'Little Ones'
Easier Than Ever With Disney's New Magical Beginnings
it's a small world after
all
 LAKE
BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Disney's Magical Beginnings, presented by
Hasbro, Inc.’s PLAYSKOOL brand, is a new, breakthrough program
devoted to families traveling with toddlers or preschoolers. It was
custom-designed based on both consumer research and guest feedback
and is aimed at reducing the hassles and increasing the magic for
parents when vacationing with toddlers and preschoolers.
"Magical Beginnings is all about making our parks and resorts even
more accessible and appealing to a huge and important group of
people -- families with very young children," said Jay Rasulo,
chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "Magical Beginnings
reinforces our commitment to creating an easy-to-plan,
easy-to-navigate vacation filled with activities that allow families
to create lifelong memories."
Disney theme parks in Florida and California have always been the
perfect playground for the whole family, but new attractions, shows
and amenities make the parks and resort hotels even more welcoming
to "little ones."
Timeless attractions, special kid's menus, character dining,
children's programs, length-of-stay stroller rental at the theme
parks, plus kiddie pools, play areas and in-room babysitting at
Disney resort hotels were all created with young guests in mind.
The new Magical Beginnings program offers value travel packages,
captivating entertainment, targeted planning tools and a host of
services and amenities to make navigating Disney parks with children
five years and younger easier then ever.
Recent research released by travel marketing experts Yesawich,
Pepperdine, Brown and Russell (YPB&R) shows that eight out of ten
families believe the ideal age to take a first major vacation with
children is when the children are five years old or younger. The
research revealed the families are seeking family-friendly
destinations that offer activities for both kids and parents.
Florida and California are the states family travelers want to visit
most, with Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort as the
preferred destinations. And nine out of ten preschool parents would
consider taking their young children on a theme park vacation as
long as the park offered age-appropriate rides and services.
 "Age-appropriate
activities and attractions are very important to this group of
family travelers," said Peter Yesawich, chairman and chief executive
officer of YPB&R. "That's why theme parks and, in particular, the
Disney parks, are a natural vacation choice for families vacationing
with toddlers and preschoolers."
Rekindling childhood memories and creating new family traditions is
easy at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts as each
features myriad attractions and entertainment options relevant to
preschoolers.
"We continue to survey our guests around the world and evaluate our
attractions and entertainment to remain as relevant as possible,"
said Rasulo. "Magical Beginnings is really the product of that
listening and research. We think this new Magical Beginnings season
will really resonate with families with toddlers and preschoolers."
For more information on Magical Beginnings,
call 866-972-4855
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Walt Disney World Introduces a Travel Season Just for Little Ones
Walt Disney World Resort has created an exciting seven-week travel
period filled with special events ideal for youngsters and parents
during a traditionally less busy time of year.
-
 Throughout
the special travel time Disney will showcase dynamic concerts
and special entertainment for little ones. "Playhouse Disney in
Concert," presented by Huggies and Pull-Ups brands, includes
performances by Disney Channel favorites The Wiggles, who will
perform multiple shows daily, Aug. 29-Sept. 1. The award-winning
Australian foursome will rouse the crowd with songs like "Yummy,
Yummy" and "Big Red Car" as they headline a kid-friendly concert
at Disney-MGM Studios. Youngsters can dance and sing along with
other favorites including the Doodlebops; Johnny & the Sprites,
featuring Johnny Tartaglia; Dan Zanes and more -- all scheduled
to appear during the seven-week travel time. Plus, Disney Live
Family Entertainment featuring the new "Mickey's Magic Show"
created by Feld Entertainment will make its first-ever park
appearance.
- During the Little Ones Travel
Time, Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom will open an hour early on
select days for Disney guests and their small-fry for favorites
such as Dumbo the Flying Elephant, it's a small world and Peter
Pan's Flight, and a new play area featuring water fountains, a
tree house, crawl-through logs and more. Plus, youngsters can
meet favorite characters during the Little Ones Magic Hour.
While guests must have Resort ID and valid ticketing for Magic
Kingdom, there is no additional charge to enjoy this extra time.
This early access allows families with young ones to get an
early start to their day and maximize park time before heading
back to their Disney resort for an afternoon break.
- Character dining experiences
have traditionally proven to be a great way to introduce little
ones to Disney characters, with a dozen offerings throughout
Disney parks and resorts. Kids can now dine and get autographs
with JoJo and Goliath from "JoJo's Circus," and June and Leo
from Disney's "Little Einsteins" at Playhouse Disney's Play 'n
Dine at Hollywood & Vine at Disney-MGM Studios.
-
 Other
magical experiences for little ones include the new Bibbidi
Bobbidi Boutique at World of Disney in Downtown Disney. A little
girl can be transformed into her favorite princess with fancy
hairstyles, glittery nails and dazzling costume makeovers.
Reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique are strongly
encouraged by calling 407/WDW-STYLE. And young adventurers can
pretend to sail the high seas and hoist the Jolly Roger in the
new, interactive Adventure Room in World of Disney. Young heroes
and heroines can fill treasure chests and skulls with pirate
plunder, create their own seafaring hat and interact with a new
pirate named Rusty Blade.
- Planning a trip and navigating
the parks will be easier than ever thanks to on-line planning
tools, a Magical Beginnings in-park map highlighting
age-appropriate attractions and tips from PLAYSKOOL,
hassle-reducing services and specially trained Disney
reservation agents. For more information, visit disneyworld.com
and select "Something For Everyone" and choose "Preschoolers"
for more details and travel tips.
- Guests traveling by air don't
need to worry about carting their luggage and their little ones
through the airport. With the innovative and complimentary
Disney's Magical Express, guests check their bags at their
hometown airport, bypass baggage claim at Orlando International
Airport and are whisked to all the Disney fun while their bags
are delivered to their hotel rooms. The Disney magic even
extends to the trip home for guests flying on many major
airlines as guests can check their bags and get their boarding
passes right at their Disney resort hotel.
For more information on Little Ones Travel Time, call
866-972-4855 today!
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Disneyland Resort Launches Magical Beginnings, Where Disney
Magic Began
The best way to introduce little ones to the magic of Disneyland
Resort in Southern California where Disney theme park magic
began is with the Magical Beginnings travel package, available
Aug. 13-Nov. 21, 2006. Two-night packages start from $239 per
adult. Package highlights include:
- Accommodations at a conveniently
located Anaheim-area Disneyland Resort Good Neighbor Hotel, with
complimentary shuttle service to the Disneyland Resort Main
Entrance ticketing plaza.
- 3-Day Disneyland Resort Park
Hopper Bonus Ticket, valid for same-day entry into both
Disneyland Park and Disney's California Adventure Park.
- Early entry into Fantasyland in
Disneyland, where families can take advantage of a morning
head-start on the most charming of Disneyland attractions such
as Peter Pan's Flight, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Casey Jr.
Circus Train, Storybook Land Canal Boats, King Arthur's
Carrousel and it's a small world.
- One entry into Mickey's Toontown
Morning Madness -- an interactive character experience exclusive
to vacation package guests. It's an opportunity to meet and
greet famous Disney characters, including the Mayor of Toontown
-- Mickey Mouse. The experience begins an hour before the area
opens to the general public, ensuring an intimate character
experience for families with young children.
- Preferred seating to "Playhouse
Disney-Live On Stage!" in Disney's California Adventure.
Families get up-close seating for this smash hit show starring
Jim Henson's "Bear in the Big Blue House" and "JoJo's Circus."
Families will also receive preferred seating at a number of
other shows throughout Disney's California Adventure park.
- Optional experiences include
numerous Disney character dining opportunities throughout
Disneyland Resort, including a Disney Princess-themed lunch or
dinner at Ariel's Grotto in Disney's California Adventure. Also,
families can head to Downtown Disney District for a stop at Club
Libby Lu, where little girls can become their own princesses of
the kingdom with hair and costume makeovers.
- All package guests receive a
colorful Magical Beginnings guide map that highlights all the
fun for little ones, with suggestions geared towards enjoying
Disneyland Resort's two theme parks with youngsters.
Bookings for the new Magical
Beginnings package at Disneyland Resort can be made by calling
866-972-4855 today!
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