Walt Disney World Resort Introduces New System for Reserving Theme Park Visits

by Jennifer SwartvagherJune 19, 2020

Walt Disney World is gearing up to reopen starting Jul. 11 with the Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom followed by Jul.15 when EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios reopen. In order to limit attendance to align with social distancing requirements, the theme park is introducing the new Disney Park Pass system. During this time, all guests with a ticket or Annual Pass will be required to make a reservation in advance for each park entry, using this new online tool on DisneyWorld.com.

Guests need a My Disney Experience account, as this is where your Walt Disney World Resort plans are stored and managed. You’ll also need a valid theme park ticket or Annual Pass that’s linked to your My Disney Experience account. If you have a Disney Resort hotel reservation, you will have to link it to your My Disney Experience account beforehand.

Once you’ve logged into your My Disney Experience account and linked your ticket, you’ll have access to a calendar of available reservation dates for each theme park. If you have a multi-day ticket, you will be required to make a park reservation for each date of your visit. Families and friends can link their tickets together and look to arrange theme park entries at the same time.

Please note, park reservations are limited in number and subject to availability. Availability can change until the reservation is finalized. At this time, guests will be able to select one park per day; visiting more than one park per day will be temporarily unavailable upon the reopening of the theme parks due to attendance limitations. Guests with existing tickets that include the Park Hopper Option or Park Hopper Plus Option have options available to them for ticket modifications and cancellations, and can visit DisneyWorld.com/Updates for more information. We hope to bring back the ability to visit more than one park per day soon and will continue to offer these add-ons for 2021 ticket purchases.

Beginning this week, Disney will reach out to existing ticket holders and Annual Passholders with more information on when they will be able to check availability to make their park reservations. The Disney Park Pass system will be opened to these guests in phases, beginning with those with future Disney Resort and other select hotel stays. Later this summer, the theme park will resume sales of 2020 tickets and Disney Resort hotel arrivals, based on availability of park reservations, while continuing to provide guests with existing tickets and Annual Passholders the opportunity to make park reservations for 2020 dates.

By Jun. 28, all guests will be able to purchase new Disney Resort hotel packages and theme park tickets and make their park reservations for arrivals starting in 2021 as our phased reopening continues. Guests will be able to view park reservation availability on DisneyWorld.com prior to purchasing their tickets.

Disney is also exploring options for guests to use their mobile tech to experience the magic – particularly now as the use of phones and apps continues to evolve. In 2021, they plan to unveil an innovative new offering as part of the My Disney Experience app that will bring features of a MagicBand to your smart devices, building on the app’s existing digital key feature. With this new offering on the horizon, they will be retiring their complimentary MagicBand distribution to Disney Resort hotel guests for new reservations with arrivals beginning Jan. 1, 2021. Disney Resort hotel guests will continue to have the option to purchase new MagicBands at a discount, and they’ll be introducing even more colors and designs featuring favorite Disney characters in the future. Guests who prefer not to purchase a discounted MagicBand will be able to use the My Disney Experience app or a Key to the World card during their visit.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Thomas Kelley on Unsplash

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Big Changes Are Coming to Walt Disney World: Here’s What You Need to Know

by Karly WoodMay 31, 2020

When the phased reopening of Walt Disney World starts on Jul. 11, the parks will look a lot different than a few months ago. In an effort to keep park guests safe, follow health and safety guidelines and restart the magic, Disney has made some big changes to ticket sales, hotel reservations, dining and fast passes––and we’ve got all the details. Keep scrolling so you’re in-the-know before heading to Florida.

New Ticket Sales and Hotel Reservations

Disney parks have halted all new ticket sales for now. If you've already purchased a ticket or are an Annual Passholder, you will be able to make a reservation before Disney releases new tickets. This will be done through the new theme park reservation system on DisneyWorld.com.

In addition, all Disney Resort hotel reservations have also been temporarily paused. Disney is currently in the process of contacting theme park and hotel guests to discuss options, which can include refunds.

Both park and hotels will be limited in attendance.

Dining and Experiences

Due to the parks limiting capacity, all existing dining reservations, Disney dining plans and bookings for other experiences have been canceled. As the phased reopening approaches, the parks will reopen both the dining and experiences with smaller numbers, and will shift to a 60-day booking window (down from the former 180-day window).

To further reinforce physical distancing, most restaurants and behind the scenes tours will be largely reduced in capacity.

FastPass+ and Extra Magic Hours

Star Wars, Galaxy's Edge, Disneyland, Millennium Falcon — Laura Green

Due to the necessity of physical distancing, all extra queue spacing will be utilized, and the FastPass+ service will be suspended. Guests with existing selections will have their FastPass+ canceled. Additionally, Disney is stopping all Extra Magic Hours for now.

With a little more than one month until the phased reopening begins, there is plenty of time for changes to the parks current updates. Stay tuned, and don’t lose the magic!

––Karly Wood

Feature photo: Disney Parks

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This Second Grader Is So Passionate about Getting Back Her Stolen Pencil

by Shahrzad WarkentinFebruary 3, 2020

When kids earn a reward, they feel a sense of pride in their accomplishment––which is how one second grader clearly felt about the pink pencil she received for perfect attendance and why she was so upset when it was stolen.

In a video shared to Instagram, second grader Taylor explains to her mom the injustice she feels over her stolen pencil. “Yesterday, I put my pink perfect attendance pencil in the sharpen box. I’m the only who has the same type of those,” she explains. “I got it sharpened in the morning, but when I unpacked, I went to go get my pencil and guess what I saw? Nothing but yellow plain old pencils. I couldn’t find my perfect attendance pencil, which is the only pencil I turned in. So I had to take somebody else’s pencil because somebody, and I know who, stole my perfect attendance pencil.”

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A post shared by Taylor Michelle (@theetaylormichelle)

She goes on to explain exactly who the culprit is and how she tried to track down her pencil, which now seems to be lost for good. The entire video is utterly adorable and the internet can’t get enough of her passion.

Her mom tries to diffuse the situation by explaining that it’s just a pencil, but clearly it means so much more to her than that. It’s hard not to share her passion for getting that pencil back when she gives such a super serious, convincing argument. She was in Canada after all.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: David Pennington via Unsplash

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Beyoncé & Jay Z’s Daughter Blue Ivy Just Won a Soul Train Award

by Erica LoopNovember 18, 2019

Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s seven-year-old daughter just won her first major award—and we’re not talking about a soccer team participation trophy or class attendance certificate.

Blue Ivy Carter recently snagged a Soul Train Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award for the song “Brown Skin Girl,” along with her famous parents.

Legend Blue Ivy already racking up awards #Youlovetoseeit #blueivy #Beyonce pic.twitter.com/KNPDxM8RK1

— T2AIA#2 (@EggsSpamm) November 18, 2019

As if that’s not enough, it looks like the seven-year-old’s winning streak is just about to start. Reportedly, she could get a Grammy nomination for the tune, which she helped to write and sings on.

Find out who took home top honors at the 2019 Soul Train Awards. #SoulTrainAwards https://t.co/zfEYyVcQIB

— Soul Train (@SoulTrain) November 18, 2019

Even though she’s only seven, it looks like Blue Ivy has a bright career ahead of her. Like mother, like daughter!

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Living for Bey via Instagram

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Baby Archie Attended His Very First Polo Match with His Royal Cousins

by Shahrzad WarkentinJuly 11, 2019

Babies have so many adorable milestones and first moments, but when you’re a Royal those firsts can be a little different. This week Meghan Markle brought baby Archie to his very first playdate with his cousins that just happened to be a polo match.

While dad Prince Harry was busy playing in the charity match, the King Power Royal Charity Polo Day in Wokingham, England, mom had her hands full holding Archie as they cheered him on. Duchess Kate Middleton was also in attendance with her own little ones, including Prince Louis, who is no longer the baby of the family. They were also cheering on their dad, Prince William who played in the match as well.

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A post shared by HELLO! Magazine (@hellomag)

It’s been a busy week for the two-month-old royal who was just in the spotlight over the weekend when the Royal family celebrated Archie’s baptism in an intimate ceremony.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: SussexRoyal via Instagram

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Does “Sesame Street” Make Kids Smarter? New Research Weighs In

by Shahrzad WarkentinMarch 8, 2019

Did you grow up dreaming of sunny days chasing the clouds away? Then there’s a pretty good chance you were a straight-A student. A new study shows Sesame Street helps kids do better in school.

New research published in the American Economic Journal found that kids who had access to Sesame Street before the age of seven had improved academic performance. The impact was most significant in elementary school, especially among Black children and boys who grew up in poor counties. However, it had no real effect on college attendance, graduation rates or long-term career prospects.

It’s important to note that the findings were based on kids access to the show, not specifically that they watched it. The information came from census data on kids from 1980, 1990 and 2000. Access was determined by the strength of television signals in individual counties across the country.

“You can think about this as kids potentially having access as opposed to watching the show,” study author Melissa Kearney told the American Economic Association. “We don’t know who actually watched the show. We know that you probably could get it in your house or you probably couldn’t. And we also know that at the time, most of the kids who probably could get it were probably watching it.”

The researchers then assessed the kids’ academic and career success based on several factors, including what proportion of kids were enrolled in the appropriate grade for their age, drop out and graduation rates, college attendance and their employment, wage and poverty status.

“Our mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder knows no geographic boundaries,” Jeffrey D. Dunn, Sesame Workshop’s chief executive officer, said in a press release celebrating the show’s 50th anniversary. “We’re everywhere families are and we never stop innovating and growing. That’s what keeps us timeless.”

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: photo: Sesame Street via YouTube

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The AAP Has a New Plan to Combat This Chronic Problem for School-Aged Kids

by Shahrzad WarkentinFebruary 1, 2019

Regular attendance at school is vital to ensure a student’s academic success, as well as their future health and yet more than 6.5 million U.S. kids miss more than 15 days of school each year. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) hopes to change that with new guidelines to prevent chronic absenteeism in schools.

According to the AAP, missing a lot of school not only leads to poor academic performance, but it can also increase the risk of unhealthy behaviors as teens and adults, such as smoking and substance use. This is why the AAP is recommending that preventative steps be taken in treating chronic absenteeism as a health risk.

photo: Element5 Digital via Unsplash

The new AAP report, “The Link Between School Attendance and Good Health,” highlights some effective steps to help improve attendance at schools, including proper hygiene and hand-washing, school-located vaccination programs and access to nurses and counselors. Some of the AAP recommendations to pediatricians are:

Stressing the importance of regular attendance starting in preschool by checking school absences with parents at well-visits;
Encouraging parents to make the school nurse aware of any health concerns;
Providing clear guidance on when kids should stay home due to illness and when it’s safe to go to school;
Avoiding writing medical excuses for absences when they are not necessary and encouraging parents to send kids back to school as soon as they are all enough.

Check out the full report for more recommendations here.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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Disneyland Ticket Prices Just Went Up—a Lot

by Karly WoodJanuary 17, 2019

While we are all undoubtedly excited about the upcoming Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, we aren’t so thrilled that Disneyland ticket prices have gone up––again. On Jan. 6, park-goers noticed that daily tickets, annual passes and parking all increased by as much as 25 percent, the second price hike in less than a year for the California resort.

Past increases have been aimed to help keep the theme park’s attendance manageable, but with the opening of Pixar Pier and the anticipation of the Star Wars land expansion, nothing has kept fans away from the gates of the Happiest Place on Earth. So what exactly are the new prices? Keep reading to find out.

Photo: Joshua Sudock via Disneyland Resort

One Day Tickets

Low-demand days: $104, up from $97 (7.2% increase)
Regular-demand days: $129, up from $117 (10.3% increase)
Peak-demand days: $149, up from $135, (10.4% increase)

Annual Passes

Southern California Select Pass: $399, up from $369 (8.1% more)
Deluxe Pass: $799, up from $729, (9.6% increase)
Signature Plus” $1,949, up from $1,579 (23.4% increase) **This pass is good for both California and Florida theme parks

Parking & MaxPass

Parking: $25, up from $20 (25% increase)
MaxPass: $15, up from $10 (50% increase)

If you’re willing to make the trek to visit visiting Mickey and friends at his Florida home, Disney Parks will release a new, cheaper pass for Walt Disney World that costs only $85 per day on Jan. 18.

––Karly Wood

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See What Happened When This Elementary School Replaced Detention With Meditation

by Red TricycleJuly 26, 2016

Photo: holisticlifefoundation via Instagram

Oh, detention– a room full of ‘misfits’ forced to sit at their desk and relish in boredom until the timer is up. Was that the experience when you went to school? Well, a school in Baltimore, MD, is trying to change that.

The Mindful Moment Room at Robert W. Coleman Elementary School is a meditation room that is the alternative to sending kids to detention or the principal’s office. Students who would typically face detention are instead encouraged to sit still in the mindful moment room to meditate or do breathing exercises to help them calm down and re-center, in the hopes that they’ll begin to learn how to deal with stress. They are also asked to talk about their prior actions.

The meditation room was created as a partnership with the Holistic Life Foundation, a local nonprofit that runs other programs as well. For more than 10 years the foundation has been offering the after-school program Holistic Me, where kids from pre-K through the fifth grade practice yoga, mindfulness exercises, and courses about the environment.

Photo: holisticlifefoundation via Instagram

The meditation room was created as a partnership with the Holistic Life Foundation, a local nonprofit that runs other programs as well. Kirk Philips, the Holistic Me coordinator at Robert W. Coleman says that at Coleman Elementary, there have been exactly zero suspensions last year and so far this year. Meanwhile, nearby Patterson Park High School, which also uses the mindfulness programs, said suspension rates dropped and attendance increased as well.

Photo: holisticlifefoundation via Instagram

Would you like to see this program in your child’s school? Let us know in the comments below!

5 Clear Spots to Catch the Lunar Eclipse

by Kelley GardinerSeptember 13, 2015

Grab your binoculars, put the little ones in their jammies and coats, and head out to see the total lunar eclipse on September 27. The peak will be around 7:47 p.m., which is just enough time for it to get really dark, but not too late for a school night. Keep your fingers crossed for clear skies, and check out these spots in and around Portland to watch this rare “blood moon” eclipse.

photo: Bruce Tuten via flickr

OMSI Star Party
The fun starts at OMSI’s South Parking at 6:30 p.m. The Rose City Astronomers and OMSI will have telescopes and binoculars available (bring your own if you have them) for viewing, and will be talking about the lunar eclipse and the autumn sky. This very well may be the perfect place to be in Portland for the eclipse, so plan ahead for parking.

1945 SE Water Ave.
800-955-6674
Online: omsi.edu/starparties

L.L. Stubb Stewart State Park
OMSI also holds some of their star parties at L.L. Stubb Stewart State Park throughout the year. There isn’t a star party scheduled, but this a great place for stargazing because of its proximity to Portland without getting so much of its light pollution, and boasts a hill with a lovely view of the nighttime sky. Even if you can’t stay overnight, the park is only a 45 minute drive from Portland.

L.L. Stub Stewart State Park
Buxton
800-551-6949
Online: oregonstateparks.org

photo: Vista House by Andy L via flickr

Vista House at Crown Point
Not only to you get a stellar view of the Columbia Gorge during the day, but when night falls, you’ll have an unobstructed (knock on wood) view of the skies as well. And at only 45 minutes east of Portland, you shouldn’t have a tough time getting the kids back home to bed lickety-split. The house itself normally closes at 6 p.m., so bundle up for a blustery gorge evening, and make a bathroom stop on the way just in case.

40700 Historic Columbia River Hwy.
Corbett
503-695-2240
Online: vistahouse.com

photo: Rocky Butte by Anthony S. via Yelp

Joseph Wood Hill Park at Rocky Butte
While it may not be pitch black, this butte is a convenient place to check out the action without going too far from home. Portland has plenty of buttes and urban mountains, but the top of Rocky Butte has a large paved park area that’s devoid of those pesky view-blocking trees. Be warned: This is a popular spot for teens on dates, but during the eclipse you’ll probably have a few more scientifically-minded compatriots around. The park is officially open until midnight.

NE Rocky Butte
Online: portlandoregon.gov

photo: Goldendale Observatory by Joe Goldberg via flickr

Goldendale Observatory
Every day is a lunar watch day at Goldendale Observatory. Expect higher attendance than usual at the evening presentation on this special night. It’s about a two-hour trek, but it might be worth it depending on the weather forecast because Goldendale may be more likely to offer clear skies. Admission is free, but you’ll need a Washington State Parks Adventure Pass to park, available on site.

1602 Observatory Dr.
Goldendale, Wa
Online: goldendaleobservatory.com

Tips: Keep in mind that the moon will be huge, but only 8 degrees above the horizon in the east for Portlanders, so make sure you have a clear view!

What’s your favorite clear spot for star- and moon-gazing? Let us know in the comments!

—Kelley Gardiner

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