Free Dining is back at Walt Disney World for August and September 2011!

Free Dining and Photobook at the Walt Disney World Resort

You can get FREE DINING at the Walt Disney World® Resort! again! Don’t miss this opportunity to get in on this special offer for stays most nights August 28 – September 24, 2011. Enjoy the Disney Dining Plan for FREE when you purchase a Magic Your Way room and ticket package at select Walt Disney World® Resorts!

Make your family’s stay more magical with these Resort extras:

• Free Disney Dining Plan* – Get almost all of your meals for FREE at over 100 select Walt Disney World® Resort restaurants.
• Disney Photopass Photo Book – This will be included free as part of your package.
• Disney’s Magical Express Service – Complimentary transportation and luggage delivery to and from the Orlando International Airport.
• Extra Magic Hours Benefit – Each day, one of the Parks is only open for Walt Disney World® Resort Guests extra time to enjoy select attractions. (Valid Theme Park admission and Resort ID required.)
• Guest Transportation – Complimentary transportation takes your family from your Disney Resort Hotel to all four Disney Theme Parks, the two Water Parks, the Downtown Disney® Area, and more via monorail, motor-coach or boat!

Contact your Magic Maker® today or click below to request a quote.

*Packages booked at a Disney Value Resort will receive the Quick-Service Dining Plan for free. Moderate, Deluxe, and Deluxe Villa Resorts will receive the Plus Disney Dining Plan for free. Free Dining is available for most stays August 28 – September 24, 2011.

A minimum stay of three nights is required. Number of packages based on this special is limited. Excludes alcohol beverages. Children 3-9 must order from the children’s menu when available. Tickets are for one Theme Park per day and must be used with 14 days of first use.

No group rates or other discounts apply. Offers cannot be combined and are nontransferable. Advance reservations required. Offers subject to change without notice.

Apple Caramel Pie - From the Whispering Canyon Cafe!

If you have had the Apple-Caramel Pie at the Whispering Canyon then you know what a wonderful dessert this is! This recipe approximates it pretty close! Try it out and let me know what you think!

Apple-Carmel Pie
Like found at the Whispering Canyon Cafe

Wilderness Lodge Resort®

Serves 12

Ingredients:

CRUST
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
13 1/2 oz. package refrigerated sugar cookie dough at close to room temperature

FILLING
2 1/4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices (I sliced them thinner)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (cut back if desired)
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tablespoon chopped candied ginger
3/4 cup caramel topping

CRUMB TOPPING
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar (cut to 1/3 cup if desired)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed (same as above)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

ICING
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar (but icing not really needed)

BAKING INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

• Coat the bottom and inside of a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• At medium-low speed, beat the flour and the dough until combined.
• Press the sugar cookie dough into sides and bottom of pan, creating a 1/4-inch thick crust.
• In a mixing bowl, toss the apples with sugar, flour, ginger and cinnamon. Spoon into prepared crust.
• Spoon on caramel topping.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake one hour.
• While pie is baking, in a mixing bowl at low speed, combine flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon.
• Increase speed to medium; gradually add butter and vanilla, beating until wet crumbs form.
• After pie has baked for one hour, remove from oven and uncover.
• Sprinkle crumb mixture over top of warm pie.
• Cover exposed edges of crust with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
• Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Cool on rack and remove sides from the pan.
• Stir together the confectioners' sugar with enough water (but not too much!) to make icing. Transfer to a plastic food storage bag, snip one corner, and drizzle over crumbs. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Tip: You can prevent apple browning by doing a light wash of the apples in lemon juice
.

New Disney Cruise Line Itineraries

April 6th, 2011 by Off to Neverland Travel in Disney Cruise Line News, Disney News, Featured Specials and News

For the first time ever, Disney Cruise Line® will set sail from three new ports in 2012 – New York, Seattle and Galveston – making the Disney family cruisevacation more accessible to everyone around the country. There are also more itinerary choices than ever before, including one special voyage to Hawai‘i.

As an exclusive benefit to Guests who are Platinum/Gold Castaway Club Members, bookings will open on Thursday, April 7, 2011. All other Guests may book starting on Friday. Contact your Magic Maker® for more information.

New York Sailings
Beginning May 25, 2012, the Disney Magic® will sail a total of 20 cruises from New York.

• 8-night Bahamian cruises include a day at Disney’s Castaway Cay, Nassau, and a stop at Port Canaveral, gateway to the Walt Disney World® Resort. As part of this itinerary, you will receive a one-day Park Hopper® Ticket and roundtrip transportation between the ship and resort. (5/25, 6/2, 6/22, 6/30, 7/20, 7/28, 8/17, 8/25)
• 5-night Canadian/New England cruises will visit Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Saint John, New Brunswick (6/10, 6/17, 7/8, 7/15, 8/5, 8/12, 9/2, 9/7, 9/12)
• 2-night cruises are perfect for those looking for a quick getaway at sea over a weekend. (6/15, 7/13, 8/10)

Seattle Sailings
Beginning May 28, 2012, the Disney Wonder® will sail a total of 14 cruises to Alaska from the Port of Seattle, Wash.

• 7-night Alaskan cruises will call on Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan plus Victoria, British Columbia.
  (5/3, 5/10, 5/17, 5/24, 5/31, 6/7, 6/14, 6/21, 6/28, 7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26, 8/2, 8/9, 8/16, 8/23, 8/30)

Galveston Sailings
Beginning Sept. 22, 2012, the Disney Magic® will sail 12 cruises from the Port of Galveston, Texas.

• 7-night Western Caribbean cruises will visit Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico, as well as Grand Cayman. (9/22, 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 11/24, 12/1, 12/8)

Los Angeles Sailings
In addition to 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises, the Disney Wonder® will set sail on Disney’s first-ever voyage to Hawai‘i on April 29, 2012.

• 15-night Hawaiian cruise departs from the Port of Los Angeles and includes stops at Hilo; Kahului, Maui; Honolulu, Oahu; Nawiliwili, Kauai and Ensenada, Mexico (April 29, 2012)
• 7-night Pacific Coast cruises will call on San Francisco, San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico (5/14 sailing with stops in San Francisco, Vancouver, BC; Victoria, BC and 9/16, 9/23, 9/30, 10/7 sailings with stops in San Francisco, San Diego, Ensenada, Mexico)

The Disney Dream™ will continue to sail 3-, 4- and 5-night Bahamian cruises. The new Disney Fantasy™ will offer Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, beginning with the maiden voyage on March 31, 2012. Sail dates for both ships are now available through December 2012.

Click below to request a quote or contact your Magic Maker® for more information.

RECIPE: COUSCOUS SALAD from Epcot's Restaurant Marrakesh

We had this on our last trip to Disney World. Here is an almost identical recipe. Try it---It's Good!

Olive oil for sauteing
1/2 of a red onion
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 of a sweet red bell pepper
1/2 of a sweet green bell pepper
1/2 of a chopped zucchini
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Nutmeg to taste
Cinnamon to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 cup orange juice
12 ounces cooked plain couscous
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup tangerine segments or mandarin orange segments
Mint sprig for garnish

In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion, garlic, sweet bell peppers and zucchini in olive oil.

Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add 1/2 cup olive oil to vegetables along with raisins, chickpeas and orange juice.

Toss vegetable mixture with couscous and pan juices. Add parsley and gently fold in citrus segments.

Mound mixture onto a serving platter and garnish with mint.