 1. It Opens Next Year! Opening date is currently set at 2019. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the Disneyland Resort will debut first and the land at the Walt Disney World® Resort will debut second. 2. It’s Set On The Planet Batuu At Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, you will visit Batuu, a remote outpost on the galaxy’s edge was once a busy crossroads along the old sub-lightspeed trade routes, but its prominence was bypassed by the rise of hyperspace travel. Now home to those who prefer to stay out of the mainstream, it has become a thriving port for smugglers, rogue traders and adventurers traveling between the frontier and uncharted space. It’s also a convenient safe haven for those intent on avoiding the expanding reach of the First Order. 3. You Will Be Able To Fly The Millenium Falcon– One of the land’s two signature attractions will put you in the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon, piloting the ship, shooting blasters or preparing for hyperspace – all while completing a critical mission. 4. A Second Attraction Planned for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Puts You On A Star Destroyer This attraction, “built on a scale we’ve never done before,” will make you feel like you’re inside a hangar bay in the middle of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance. (The name of this attraction is still yet to be released). 5. A Cantina Will Serve Up Blue Milk Only one food and beverage item has been announced for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge so far and that’s the blue milk Luke Skywalker made famous in “Star Wars IV: A New Hope.” 6. Expect To See Characters From A Galaxy Far, Far Away You will also encounter many familiar faces inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, including BB-8, Chewbacca, members of the First Order and – among many others – Rex, the troublesome pilot you may remember from the previous version of a certain Disney attraction who takes on a new role in this land as the DJ at the cantina. 7. The Land Will Feature Marketplaces & New Toys Imagineers looked to the exotic markets of Istanbul and Marrakech for inspiration for the land’s marketplace, where you can explore a rich collection of shops and merchant stalls. One stall will be overseen by a Toydarian, a creatures fans first encountered on Tatooine in “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.” Here, you will be able to discover all kinds of fun toys straight out of the Star Wars galaxy. 8. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Merchandise Has Already Been Released The first Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge merchandise, available at select locations at the Disneyland and the Walt Disney World Resort, was released in December. The line currently consists of an assortment of men’s and women’s T-shirts, hats and more that feature faces and places familiar to Star Wars fans, including the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge logo, the Millennium Falcon, BB-8, DJ Rex and more. 9. View A Portion Of The Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Model Right Now A portion of the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge model is currently on display at the end of the Walt Disney Presents exhibit at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®. Stay tuned for more updates about Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World® Resorts. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
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 This weekend me and my husband were lucky enough to spend the day in Epcot enjoying the 2nd annual Festival of the Arts. It is an exciting event that features top notch Disney artists, gourmet fare, musical performances as well as stage productions and other amazing acts. The festival opened this past January 12th, and will remain open seven days a week until February 19th, 2018. Entrance is included with your park admission. I really enjoyed this event even more so than the typical Food and Wine Festival because I loved looking at the amazing art that was featured by some of the artists on hand. Not only could you peruse through all of the neat paintings but you can actually see some of the artists in action during seminars and hands on workshops as well. One of my favorite things about the festival is that, not only are you looking at some awesome pieces, they also feature artistic dishes, snacks and beverages with a special Disney twist! With everything from colorful fare to colorful classic cuisine there is something here for everyone and eating has never been more fun! Through out our time there we tried many neat drinks such as the Popping Champagne, a champagne with boba bubbles, making it even more fun to drink! As if all of this was not enough you can also enjoy show-stopping songs from award-winning Disney on Broadway musicals featuring some of Disney’s greatest hits. Showtimes are 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM and 8:00 PM in the America Gardens Theatre. You can also take advantage of the Disney on Broadway Concert Series Dining Package at either Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Biergarten Restaurant, the Garden Grill, the Coral Reef, and Rose and Crown Dining.  The festival was really a blast and highly recommend it to guests who love to eat, enjoy Disney art and just are looking for a good time. Reach out to a Starstuff Travel Planner for more information on this festival or to book your vacation today! Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram 1/19/2018 1 Comment Race You To The CastleWhy RunDisney? Do you love Disney? Do you love running? Then there is nothing better than running in Disney. It is one of the most ultimate racing experiences. Disney hosts 4 races at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida: The Walt Disney World Marathon in January, Princess Marathon Weekend in February, Star Wars Half Marathon The Dark Side in April and Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend in November. They also host races at Disneyland in both California (currently no races scheduled for 2018) and Paris. Bling, bling, bling. Disney has the best finishing medals you have ever seen. That is actually what started my running journey. A friend’s husband showed me his marathon medal and at that moment I knew I wanted to run at Disney. I started running using the Jeff Galloway method (official RunDisney sponsor) and signed up for the Princess ½ Marathon. Prior to signing up for the race Disney announced a new event called the Glass Slipper Challenge (10K and ½ Marathon). We knew we had to go big or go home, so my girlfriend and I signed up for the challenge. After all we would be getting not 2 medals but 3!  People from all over the world come out to run these events. I have met so many helpful, friendly people in the 5 years I have been doing the RunDisney races. From losing weight to battling cancer, every person has a story, which has helped inspire me to run these races. Races start early, 5:30am to be exact. So if the distance doesn’t get you the early wake up time will. This year I ran the Dopey Challenge (48.6 magical miles), which is a 5K, 10K, ½ marathon and full marathon on back-to-back days. It was my first full marathon and there is nowhere else in the world that I would rather be than in Disney to run 26.2 miles. Since this year was the 25th Anniversary of the Disney World Marathon we all received special finishing Mickey Ears!  Running through the parks is absolutely amazing. While not in the parks there is still plenty of entertainment from gospel choirs to character stops to DJs pumping out inspiring music. There are Disney’s Photopass photographers to capture your special memories while on the course. This year I rode Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom while running the marathon and stopped to get a margarita in Mexico for my finish line photo.  Unless you are an elite runner, Disney is not the place for you to get a Personal Record (PR), but it certainly is a place for you to have your Best Race Ever and to create magical memories to last a lifetime.  To hear more about Tanya's RunDisney experiences, or to book your next magical vacation with her, feel free to contact her at Tanya@Starstufftravel.com Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram1/11/2018 0 Comments The Basics Of TSA Pre check Want to leave your shoes on next time you head to the airport? Then consider applying for the TSA Pre Check program, it is a program that gives travelers leaving from the U.S. access to an expedited security screening program at the airport. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent U.S. residents can apply for the program and go through a three step screening process in order to become a “trusted traveler.” Some of the reasons travelers are in love with the program are shorter lines for TSA Pre Check members. TSA’s website says that in December 2017, 93% of members waited less than 5 minutes. You also don’t need to take your shoes, belts or light jackets off, and you can leave your laptop and liquids in your bag. A parent or guardian with TSA Pre Check can even bring family members ages 12 and under along with them in the expedited lanes. Registering for the program is not that hard either. First you submit an online application in five minutes & schedule an appointment at any of 380+ enrollment centers. Second you have a 10 minute, in person appointment that includes a background check and fingerprinting, which has to be completed within 45 days of the online application. Third, you add your KTN to your airline ticket and enjoy your flight! TSA Pre Check is available in 200 airports with 42 participating airlines. If you have further questions about this program or to book your upcoming flight reach out to a Starstuff Travel Planner today! Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram I hear it all the time,“we’ll wait until our kids are older.” Whether it’s because they think their kids will be too little for the rides and attractions, or too young to remember the trip, many parents of children preschool age and younger, have a misconception that a vacation to Walt Disney World will be a waste of time and money. When talking about our recent family trips to WDW, people are often surprised to hear that my husband and I took our two young sons before the age of 5. Most often, we are met with a list of common questions: “How did your kids wait on those lines?”, “What rides could they even go on?”, and "Do you think they’ll even remember it?” I would hate to think that these common concerns are keeping families from experiencing a vacation they might truly enjoy. As someone who cherishes the memory of my young sons experiencing Disney for the first time at such young ages, I’d like to clear some of that confusion. Perhaps, a trip to Walt Disney World with your toddler isn’t as crazy as you think! One concern I hear over and over again is, “My child will never be able to wait on those lines!” When it comes to theme parks, we automatically think of lines, and as parents we know- lines and young children do not mix! But Disney has come a long way from the days when we waited over an hour for numerous attractions. Fastpass+ has made long wait times for major attractions diminish. Also, with the My Disney Experience App, you can check wait times right from your smartphone, making choosing your next standby attraction a breeze. Furthermore, Disney shows amazing attention to detail, so even if the standby wait time is 30 minutes, not all hope is lost. There are stunning visual displays to see, short videos to watch, and in some cases, there are even games little ones can play along the way, making the line part of the attraction. Disney knows how hard waiting can be and they do a great job keeping their guests, especially their youngest, happy for the duration of the wait.  (Playing with the tracks in the waiting queue for The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh) Another common misconception is, “We’ll wait until our kids are bigger so they can enjoy the rides.” When talking with parents of young children, I often find that what worries them most about a trip to WDW is the fear that their children will be too small to meet the height requirements for the majority of attractions. This is where Disney is different. Walt Disney World prides itself on being family friendly, therefore, the majority of rides and attractions are geared towards children and children at heart. On our most recent trip, there were only a handful of attractions throughout the four main theme parks that our boys had to refrain from riding, the majority of those being larger thrill rides. In fact, one of the things I love most about Disney is the many opportunities for riding together as a family. For instance, on several attractions, my husband and I were able to sit with the baby on our lap and seat our oldest in the middle or next to us. This allowed us to all ride in the same row or car. Parents are often surprised to learn just how many attractions their little ones can take part in. (Not to mention that WDW is a lot more than just amusement park rides.) There are character meet and greets, magnificent parades, family friendly dining, and amazing shows and fireworks displays. In addition, when you stay on the WDW property, there are even more options for families with small children including; beautifully themed swimming pools, outdoor movies, and children’s activity centers. Disney knows what families need to have an amazing vacation and they do everything they can to provide something for every age and interest.  (About to board Peter Pan’s Flight with this little guy) The last and most common concern I hear from families, “I’m afraid they won’t even remember it.” As parents, we want to fill our children’s days with lasting memories and traditions. Family vacations are a huge part of this, so we want to be sure our time and money is spent wisely. We never want to feel like our vacations won’t be long cherished memories. The truth is, on our most recent WDW trip, our oldest was four and our youngest was just 6-months old. My oldest remembers so much of that vacation, and still talks about all the amazing moments we shared. Will my youngest remember? Probably not. But I will, and my husband will, and his grandparents who traveled with us will. We look back and laugh at the many cherished moments from that trip. From our oldest’s reaction to meeting Baymax, to our youngest getting his first pair of Mickey ears, all of those moments are forever etched in our minds. There is this small window of time when children truly believe in magic, and those early toddler and preschool years are the perfect time to witness that. They may not remember the details, but we as parents will remember their faces light up with wonder. We will remember their reactions to meeting their favorite princess, or the way they laughed during a show. We will cherish being there to see them brave their first roller coaster or dance to the their favorite Disney tune. To me, those memories are priceless, and I’ll bet you feel the same.  (What’s better than a hug from your favorite hero?) The fact is, traveling with young children can be difficult, and the list of concerns is endless. But, a trip to Walt Disney World does not have to wait until the kids are older, it might just be the perfect fit for right now. See you real soon! To get more tips and information from Kristin or to book your next Walt Disney World Vacation please reach out to Kristin Scoza at Kscoza@Starstufftravel.com Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram  Walt Disney World is planning to allow guests booked in Club Level rooms to purchase an additional three FastPasses that can be used at any park. The cost for this new service will be $50.00 per person per day and can be used at any park. Not only will Club Level guests be able to grab those additional FP+ selections, they can make their selections 90 days out versus the typical 60, offering access to some of the parks most popular attractions before anyone else. These Walt Disney World guests will also receive a pass for premium reserved seating for any of the night time shows offered at any of the four parks. The service does require a 3 day minimum and Disney plans to roll out the pilot program this coming Friday.
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