Disney is converting the Cabins at Fort Wilderness to Disney Vacation Club (DVC) Villas. What will this mean for DVC Members and Fort Wilderness guests? This story, plus the first look at the the 2023 edition of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (including some insider tips).

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Fort Wilderness Cabins being re-imagined and converted to DVC Resort Offering

Seemingly out of the blue, Walt Disney World Resort announced plans to refresh the cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and convert them into DVC one-bedroom villas.

The proposed plans call for more than 350 new cabins across all 750 acres to replace the existing cabins. The new cabins would use the existing footprint and take advantage of energy-efficient features.

There is a lot to unpack in this story. We discuss many questions, including how will Disney manage having a Moderate property as a Deluxe Villa? Will additional amenities be added to keep in line with DVC standards? Will the cabins located close to the Settlement Trading Post remain, or will they be removed and only the cabin neighborhoods be converted? This and more in this episode of the show.

Design concepts shared by Disney show what Disney calls "a fresh take on the current cabin experience ... while also paying homage to the resort’s unique culture and heritage through the magic of Disney storytelling." The design has received mixed reviews. The one-bedroom cabins sleep up to six adults, and feature a bathroom, living room, full kitchen and private patio. A select number of cabins are also expected to be dog-friendly. 

In our view, the design concepts shared by Disney do not fill well in Fort Wilderness. They look more like sheds than cabins and are far too modern for the theming of this property.

As with all Disney Vacation Club resorts, the cabins would continue to be open for reservations to all guests, based on availability.

The planned cabins are part of a collection of improvement projects underway at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground that are designed to enhance the guest experience. Examples include proposed pool and walking trail enhancements as well as new expanded dining experiences at Trail’s End Restaurant and Crockett’s Tavern, with more exciting news to come.

The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort is projected to open in 2024 and would be the 17th Disney Vacation Club resort. As always, more details will follow and we will share them here at that time.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Returns to Walt Disney World from August 11 to November 1

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will return to Magic Kingdom Park on August 11 -- one of its earliest kick-offs yet.

MNSSHP features Halloween entertainment, Disney characters dressed in their Halloween best and more. This is a limited capacity, ticketed nighttime event that starts at 7 p.m. and allows guests to experience potentially shorter wait times on attractions, themed food and drinks and more.

When Do Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Tickets Go on Sale?

If you have a reservation booked at one of the select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, or Shades of Green, you can buy tickets starting April 27, 2023. Tickets for everyone else will go on sale on May 2. 

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Dates are:

August: 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29
September: 1, 4, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29
October: 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31
November: 1

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Ticket Prices and Discounts

Tickets for MNSSHP range in price from $109.00 to $199.00 for adults and from $99.00 to $189.00 for kids aged 3-9, depending on the night. It is generally more expensive closer to Halloween. Disney Vacation Club (DVC) Members and Annual Passholders will get a $10.00 per ticket discount on select nights.

Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade

Mickey's Boo-To-You Halloween Parade is an event highlight where Disney villains stride down Main Street, U.S.A. (alongside Disney heroes) and other Disney characters. Disney has hinted at some new faces this year.

The Nighttime Fireworks Show is Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular

Jack Skellington hosts Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular, which features projections, special effects and lighting paired with fireworks, music and Disney characters.

Trick-or-Treat Name Brand Chocolate and Candy

Trick-or-treat locations are located throughout Magic Kingdom Park and you can load up on name brand candy and chocolate. Disney supplies the bag (but you may want a bigger one if you plan to go all out).

The Sanderson Sisters are Back

The Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus are back for an adventure to summon the ultimate Hocus Pocus Party Potion during the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular stage show at Cinderella Castle.

During the party, you will have the opportunity to experience attractions including Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and TRON Lightcycle / Run. In a new move, TRON Lightcycle / Run will use a virtual queue* during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, allowing guests to enjoy all the festivities while they wait to enter the Grid. More details to follow on that.

*Virtual queues are limited and subject to availability, times are subject to change, and joining a virtual queue does not guarantee entrance to any experience.

Contact us at 1923 Main Street

Thank you for listening to the Disney Travel News Podcast at 1923MainStreet.com. We try to bring 15 minutes of Disney magic every week. As always, we love to get feedback and questions from our listeners and to hear your suggestions and ideas that we can include in future episodes.

Please be sure to follow along on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

Your Source for the Latest Disney Travel News

If you would like to help support the show, please share 1923 Main Street with your friends and on social media. We very much appreciate the support!

Thank you for listening and have a magical day!

Mike Belobradic and Amelia Belobradic

Disney announced an expansion to the Capture Your Moment photo sessions in Magic Kingdom Park; are they worth it? This story, plus the first news about the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival; an update coming for Star Tours; Rogers the Musical is happening; and an update on Tiana's Bayou Adventure.

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It's Time to Plan Your Summer Disney World Vacation: EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival starts July 27

The 2023 edition of the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival will run from July 27 through November 18. Depending on when you attend, the festival will have slightly different offerings. 25 Global Marketplaces will include returning favorites, plus several new additions that will change as the festival turns from summer to fall.

Highlights of the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival include:

• Emile’s Fromage Montage is back for 2023: Try any five cheese dishes listed in the Festival Passport, collect the stamps and then head to Shimmering Sips to get a free sweet treat unique to the festival.
  
• Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak: a Ratatouille-inspired adventure where you search for Remy throughout World Showcase and the Global Marketplaces.
• And just in time for Halloween: take part in Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit, a special pumpkin scavenger hunt running from September 29 through October 31.

Eat to the Beat Concerts will be back and we will share line-up details once they're released. Check for more festival news any time at TasteEPCOT.com. 

NEW Capture Your Moment Photo Sessions Coming to Magic Kingdom

Capture Your Moment is a Disney PhotoPass product that offers a 20-minute personalized photo session with a Disney PhotoPass photographer in any Disney World Park you choose. 

Magic Kingdom photo session locations have included Main Street, U.S.A. and around Cinderella Castle. Now they've added a new Capture Your Moment experience in Fantasyland, starting on May 1.

New locations include the back of Cinderella Castle, Prince Charming Regal Carousel, Rapunzel’s tower, Prince Eric’s castle, Storybook Circus, Belle and Maurice’s cottage, outside Beast’s castle, around Mad Tea Party and more. You are guaranteed one photo location per session, but if you're quick many sessions end up visiting a few locations to take photos. You'll check-in for this experience at Sir Mickey’s where a photographer will help you choose a photo prop and the locations you want to use. 

Disney noted you may even be able to visit a location beyond Fantasyland to capture photos, such as the Haunted Mansion or other spots in Liberty Square. Ask your photographer about available options and how long they'd have to capture photos at these locations.

Each 20-minute Capture Your Moment session is $99.00 and can include up to eight guests. The corresponding photos are not included in the price of a session. If you have a Disney PhotoPass entitlement, such as Memory Maker or Memory Maker One Day, or if you are a qualifying Annual Passholder with a Disney PhotoPass add-on benefit, you can download the photos taken during Capture Your Moment at no extra cost. You can also decide to purchase photos individually.

Bookings for Capture Your Moment in Fantasyland will open on April 24, with sessions offered daily starting May 1. Bookings can be made up to 60 days in advance, and advance reservations are strongly recommended. A limited number of same-day reservations may be available; so check the My Disney Experience app for availability.

If you want to do Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique before a Capture Your Moment session in Fantasyland, Disney recommends booking a photo session to begin at least two hours after the start of the boutique time.

Star Tours Will Feature New Adventures Starting in 2024

In 2024, Disney will (finally) be adding more stories and characters to Star Tours at both Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and Disneyland Park in California.

It's Happening: ‘Rogers - The Musical’ will Premiere on June 30 for a Limited Engagement at Disney California Adventure Park

In the first episode of “Hawkeye,” viewers saw a Broadway musical featuring the life of Steve Rogers, Captain America. Disney has now officially announced that a real-life one-act musical theater production of “Rogers: The Musical” will hit the stage at the Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure Park for a limited-time engagement, starting June 30, 2023.

The production features a cast of singers and dancers telling the story of Steve Rogers joined by Peggy Carter, Nick Fury and select members of the Avengers. The musical will take us on a journey from Steve’s humble beginnings during World War II to becoming Captain America, leading the Avengers and beyond.

Music will include “Save the City,” from the Disney+ series “Hawkeye”; “Star Spangled Man” from the film “Captain America: The First Avenger”; plus, five new original songs written just for “Rogers: The Musical” at the Disneyland Resort.

“Rogers: The Musical” is a 30 minute show that will take place from Tuesday through Saturday most weeks. More details as the date draws closer.

Mama Odie May Just Be the Start of the Show on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

New ride renderings released by Disney show Mama Odie joking with guests along the journey after a special display of her magic. The two-hundred-year-old Bayou Fairy Godmother, with her eccentric belongings and “seeing eye snake” Juju, is comically eccentric (yet wise and all-knowing) throughout the adventure. Actress Jenifer Lewis, who voiced Mama Odie in “The Princess and the Frog,” is returning to her role for the attraction.
 
To make room for this new magic, Splash Mountain at Disneyland park will be closed starting May 31, 2023, so we can begin the next phase of development for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Contact us at 1923 Main Street

Thank you for listening to the Disney Travel News Podcast at 1923MainStreet.com. We try to bring 15 minutes of Disney magic every week. As always, we love to get feedback and questions from our listeners and to hear your suggestions and ideas that we can include in future episodes.

Please be sure to follow along on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

Your Source for the Latest Disney Travel News

If you would like to help support the show, please share 1923 Main Street with your friends and on social media. We very much appreciate the support!

Shop Disney

Be sure to visit our online shop for a wide selection of 1923 Main Street merchandise, plus original Disney-inspired t-shirts and more.

Thank you for listening and have a magical day!

Mike Belobradic and Amelia Belobradic

The complete guide to Walt Disney World Annual Passes, including real-life costs and break-even points so you can decider whether it's worth it to buy a Disney World Annual Pass. This story plus DisneyBand+ versus MagicBand+ and what's the difference?

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Everything you Want to Know About Annual Passes Before AP Sales Return to Walt Disney World

New sales of the Disney Incredi-Pass, Disney Sorcerer Pass and Disney Pirate Pass start on April 20. Quantities will be limited and passes may become unavailable at any time.

Eligible DVC Members will have the opportunity to purchase the DVC Disney Sorcerer Pass starting April 13 as part of DVC Membership Magic benefits.

Passholder benefits: Passholders get access to select Disney PhotoPass benefits (age restrictions apply) and (as of April 18) can visit the parks after 2:00 p.m. without needing a park reservation -- except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom Park. Pass blockout dates continue to apply for certain passes.

This is the first time Walt Disney World annual passes will be available for general purchase since sales of all but the Florida residents pass were suspended in November 2021.

Prices for the Walt Disney World Annual Passes are:

• Incredi-Pass: $1,399
• Sorcerer Pass: $969
• Pirate Pass: $749
• Pixie Dust Pass: $399
• Add ons: $99 for unlimited PhotoPass downloads; $99 for Water Parks and Sports option

All passes include free standard theme park parking and discounts on select dining and merchandise.

The Four Types of Walt Disney World Annual Passes 2023

Disney Pixie Dust Pass ($399)

• Florida Residents Only
• Use it on "most" weekdays, subject to blockout dates, including peak and holiday periods. 
• You can have a max of three park reservations at a time (unless you have a Disney hotel reservation, then it's length of stay).

Disney Pirate Pass ($749)

• Florida Residents Only
• Use it on "most" days, subject to blockout dates, including peak and holiday periods. 
• Max of four park reservations at a time (with a Disney hotel reservation, it's for length of stay).

Disney Sorcerer Pass ($969)

• Florida Residents and eligible DVC Members
• Use it on "most" days, subject to blockout dates on select days during select holiday periods 
• Max of five park reservations at a time (with a Disney hotel reservation, it's for length of stay).

Disney Incredi-Pass ($1399)

• Open to all guests
  
• No blockout dates
• Max of five park reservations at a time (with a Disney hotel reservation, it's for length of stay).

 
Is a Walt Disney World Annual Pass Worth it? Let's Do the Math

Using our real-life example from Spring 2023, the cost of Disney Parks Tickets (Park Hopper Plus) ages 10+ and valid any 8 days was $800.66. 

Looking at the costs above, that means that if you generally travel to Walt Disney World for approximately 10 days in a year (or more), then the Disney Sorcerer Pass is worth it (if you qualify).

If you generally travel to Walt Disney World for approximately 14 days in a year (or more), then the Disney Incredi-Pass is worth it.
 
DisneyBand+ Wearable Technology is coming to Disney Cruise Line: Is this Just a Disney-Cruise-branded MagicBand+?

DisneyBand+ is coming to Disney Cruise Line, starting with a preview on select Disney Wish sailings before it officially debuts.

When DisneyBand+ launches, you will have the option to use Disney's hands-free technology on Disney Cruise Line (you don't have to use one). With three Disney Cruise Line designs available for purchase, DisneyBand+ is a new optional accessory for a Disney cruise vacation.

Sounds a lot like a MagicBand+, right? Read on....

What Does DisneyBand+ Do?

DisneyBand+ will allow you to unlock your stateroom door and charge to your payment card on your stateroom folio. 
 
Children aged 3 and up can use their bands instead of the Oceaneer Club Band to access kids’ clubs while onboard the ship and at Scuttle’s Cove, Castaway Cay.
 
Onboard photographers around the ship will tap your DisneyBand+ to link photos to your stateroom, making it easier to view and purchase photos during their cruise.

DisneyBand+ will also allow you to uncover surprises throughout the cruise, so watch for extra moments of magic. 

The big question is, isn't this just a MagicBand+ with Disney Cruise Line designs?
 
While we don't know for certain, the answer appears to be yet. 
 
In the FAQ, DIsney states: "Your Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort MagicBand+ can be used as a DisneyBand+ during select Disney Cruise Line sailings." Plus, Disney also notes that you can use a DisneyBand+ for Walt Disney World and Disneyland hotels and theme parks.

Contact us at 1923 Main Street

Thank you for listening to the Disney Travel News Podcast at 1923MainStreet.com. We try to bring 15 minutes of Disney magic every week. As always, we love to get feedback and questions from our listeners and to hear your suggestions and ideas that we can include in future episodes.

Please be sure to follow along on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

Your Source for the Latest Disney Travel News

If you would like to help support the show, please share 1923 Main Street with your friends and on social media. We very much appreciate the support!

Shop Disney

Be sure to visit our online shop for a wide selection of 1923 Main Street merchandise, plus original Disney-inspired t-shirts and more.

Thank you for listening and have a magical day!

Mike Belobradic and Amelia Belobradic