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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 seasonal 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 Resort 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, visit disneymagicalbeginnings.com.
Walt Disney World Offers a Travel Season Just for Little Ones
This past year, Walt Disney World Resort created an exciting seven-week travel period (August-September) filled with special events ideal for youngsters and parents during a traditionally less busy time of year. Dates for 2007 are September 6 - October 28.
- Throughout the special travel time Disney showcases dynamic concerts and special entertainment for little ones. Past concerts included performances by Disney Channel favorites The Wiggles, Doodlebops; Johnny & the Sprites featuring Johnny Tartaglia; Dan Zanes and more.
- During the Little Ones Travel Time, Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom opens 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 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 and boys can get the Cool Dudes treatment. 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.
- 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, visit disneyworld.com/littleones or call 407/W-DISNEY or your travel agent.
