*** OFFICIAL January 2013 Thread ***

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Please add me to the list! We'll be there January 25-29th. Tentatively, we're planning to stay at AoA.

With DD starting elementary school this year, I had written off us going to WDW during off-season for awhile. A couple of days ago, was going through DD's school calendar and found out she has a four day weekend for the last week of January! Talked it over with DW about what we could do that weekend, and WDW ended up on top of our list. It's a shorter stay then our previous ones, but we're excited! Can't wait to check out the new AoA and New FL!! Now scrambling to put together some ADRs.

 

[redoschi]

Finally we're booked!

Pop Century Jan 22nd to Feb 5th! We already had the flights booked so it was a matter of time until we booked the hotel as well!

Now we pray for FD to show up!

 

[kellymonster23]

Add me too!!! I'm going with my family - Mom, Dad, younger sister, myself and my best friend. January 5-12 at OKW!!!!

 

[peaceluv&mickeymouse]

Yeah, today is our 4 month mark

Come on January

We will be at POR Royal Guest room Jan 3-13th.

Can you tell I am excited????? Now if free dining comes out that would be awesome.
I keep reading all the great posts about recent visits. I'm addicted.

 

[MichelleVW]

I'm at the airport heading home from a Labor Day trip to Disney and I am so ready to be back in Jan!

 

[3Paige14]

Is it January yet?

Nope. But it can't come soon enough.

Just started my junior year of college. Glad I have school then two big holidays to keep me busy til January.

 

[jey]

We (DH, DS, and me) just booked our January trip. We are staying at the WL (for now) Jan. 25- Feb.2. We might change resorts to Poly or Beach Club. We always stay at the WL. Just don't know if we are ready for a change.

 

[disjseag]

Count us in!

Just booked our Anniversary trip January 15-19 at the Poly!

WOOHOO!!!!!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Booked our package tonight for a Finding Nemo Suite at AoA! Waiting for a decent promotion/discount from Disney.

Also need to figure out when to pull the trigger and buy our plane tickets. Are the prices expected to continue to go up if I keep waiting?

 

[mickeyplanner]

We just got back last night from WDW and can't wait for our January trip, especially for Fantasyland to open up. To our surprise yesterday after being inside Mickey's Philharmagic an announcement was made that Disney is doing a testing on one of the new attractions at Fantasyland and if we had an hour to spare and would like to take part please head back to the blue construction walls and cast members will direct you from there. So of course we went to check it out, we only had 1.5 hours until we had to catch the ME to the airport but we weren't going to miss this opportunity to be some of the first to see parts of the new Fantasyland additions.

DD had a Belle outfit on and the CMs leading us into Fantasyland kept making a fuss over DD. So we started to think we were going to see some of the new Beauty and the Beast areas of Fantasyland.

Just let me tell you the details we saw were AMAZING .

We got to enter in Maurice's cottage. Hanging on a wall is a picture of Belle as a child with her mom. There is also a growth chart of Belle on one of the walls. We of course had our DD stand next to it to see where she compared with Belle. There is even the book that Belle is reading in the movie and the sheep took a bite out of the page sitting on a table inside the cottage.

Then they take you into Maurice's workshop. There are blueprints all over the place and a beautiful mirror hanging on one of the walls. We made sure to stand in front of the mirror. Once everyone is inside, the CM tells you no more flash photography and asks us to repeat after him. "Show us the night Belle and Beast fall in love" The mirror then transforms into a doorway and we are asked to walk through. It was so magically to see the mirror transform and then walk into Beast's castle.

Once inside the castle, which is breathtaking , another CM is there with the enchanted wardrobe. Yes, there is a lifesize talking/animated wardrobe inside this room. They explain that the Beast wants to surprise Belle by having us "villagers" help retell the story of how they met. They ask for villagers to help act out the parts. DH was picked to be one of the "marching" knights. The villager actors are given props for their roles and we all practice our "parts".

We are then lead into the Castle Library and Luminaire is on the mantle to meet us along with two additional CMs. The actors are asked to take their places and the rest of us "villagers" are asked to take a seat on three different rows of benches. We decided to sit on the far right side of the room up front to be position in front of DH. WHich happened to be a great spot because we were seated right next to the door that Belle entered and exited. Everyone acted out their parts and they had a Photopass photographer taking pictures. All the actors got a bookmark from Belle and a special photopass card with Belle on the card. I wasn't planning on buying photopass from this trip but now I might be tempted once I load up all our cards.

I am so excited that we got see this firsthand and now can't wait to see the rest of fantasyland in January.

 

[newbie2013]

We just got back last night from WDW and can't wait for our January trip, especially for Fantasyland to open up. To our surprise yesterday after being inside Mickey's Philharmagic an announcement was made that Disney is doing a testing on one of the new attractions at Fantasyland and if we had an hour to spare and would like to take part please head back to the blue construction walls and cast members will direct you from there. So of course we went to check it out, we only had 1.5 hours until we had to catch the ME to the airport but we weren't going to miss this opportunity to be some of the first to see parts of the new Fantasyland additions.

DD had a Belle outfit on and the CMs leading us into Fantasyland kept making a fuss over DD. So we started to think we were going to see some of the new Beauty and the Beast areas of Fantasyland.

Just let me tell you the details we saw were AMAZING .

We got to enter in Maurice's cottage. Hanging on a wall is a picture of Belle as a child with her mom. There is also a growth chart of Belle on one of the walls. We of course had our DD stand next to it to see where she compared with Belle. There is even the book that Belle is reading in the movie and the sheep took a bite out of the page sitting on a table inside the cottage.

Then they take you into Maurice's workshop. There are blueprints all over the place and a beautiful mirror hanging on one of the walls. We made sure to stand in front of the mirror. Once everyone is inside, the CM tells you no more flash photography and asks us to repeat after him. "Show us the night Belle and Beast fall in love" The mirror then transforms into a doorway and we are asked to walk through. It was so magically to see the mirror transform and then walk into Beast's castle.

Once inside the castle, which is breathtaking , another CM is there with the enchanted wardrobe. Yes, there is a lifesize talking/animated wardrobe inside this room. They explain that the Beast wants to surprise Belle by having us "villagers" help retell the story of how they met. They ask for villagers to help act out the parts. DH was picked to be one of the "marching" knights. The villager actors are given props for their roles and we all practice our "parts".

We are then lead into the Castle Library and Luminaire is on the mantle to meet us along with two additional CMs. The actors are asked to take their places and the rest of us "villagers" are asked to take a seat on three different rows of benches. We decided to sit on the far right side of the room up front to be position in front of DH. WHich happened to be a great spot because we were seated right next to the door that Belle entered and exited. Everyone acted out their parts and they had a Photopass photographer taking pictures. All the actors got a bookmark from Belle and a special photopass card with Belle on the card. I wasn't planning on buying photopass from this trip but now I might be tempted once I load up all our cards.

I am so excited that we got see this firsthand and now can't wait to see the rest of fantasyland in January.

Oh my goodness that sounds amazing!!!!! How exciting, wonderful and special that you were able to participate!

 

[mickeyplanner]

Oh my goodness that sounds amazing!!!!! How exciting, wonderful and special that you were able to participate!

WE are still so excited about yesterday. I can't wait for January to get here!!!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

We just got back last night from WDW and can't wait for our January trip, especially for Fantasyland to open up. To our surprise yesterday after being inside Mickey's Philharmagic an announcement was made that Disney is doing a testing on one of the new attractions at Fantasyland and if we had an hour to spare and would like to take part please head back to the blue construction walls and cast members will direct you from there.

That is awesome! DD can't wait to try this experience and I'm sure this will be one of those attractions that we'll have to line up for at RD. Here is the WDWMagic newsclip that talks about your preview experience! And also video link 1 and link 2 from WDWMagic of the Enchanted Tales with Belle with is basically in line what you described.

 

[LaurenLC]

Just booked a trip for January 16- January 23 at AKV! Can't wait!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

So, with Fastpass+ going for another test phase, do you all think that it will go live by the time New FL opens (which means we January visitors will have to learn a new system)?

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

I will be thrilled if I can get FP+ for my trip.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards. Please excuse the typos.

 

[readytogotodisney]

So, with Fastpass+ going for another test phase, do you all think that it will go live by the time New FL opens (which means we January visitors will have to learn a new system)?

I'm wondering the same. I'd be kind of excited if it did.

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

I'm wondering the same. I'd be kind of excited if it did.

I'm mostly excited about FP+ and anxious to find out more details about how it will work and how it will integrate with the exisiting FP system (caps, time limits, next eligible FP time etc). I'm guessing they are keeping the old FP system as well since they added the + sign to this new system? but not sure. Also, I'm assuming this would be free with anyone with a park admission.

 

[MichelleVW]

WE are still so excited about yesterday. I can't wait for January to get here!!!

That is so awesome!! We were there from Aug 31-Sep 3 and were so excited to see the castles over the construction walls (well, I was excited, DH could care less Lol).

I just booked our flight into Orlando this morning. I booked the return flight a few months ago, but have been hoping the flight out would drop (Southwest). It hasn't dropped at all, and some flights have gone up so I went ahead and bit the bullet and bought it for $170. Our flight back was $100 so honestly it's not horrible, but I was hoping for one of their $100 flights both ways!

We fly in at 11 pm and then staying at the Hyatt in the airport and then leaving out on our cruise the next morning. Hitting the parks after the cruise, hopefully the parks will have cleared out by then.

 

[ButterflyJen]

I dreamed last night that free dining had finally been announced....c'mon Disney!