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Disney World has recently shared more details about the new Art of Animation resort, opening in May 2012. The Art of Animation is a huge addition to the popular Value resort category, and is designed to house families of all sizes on  Disney World property.

The new resort will be a welcome addition to the Disney World hotel line up; with only four value resorts, it was sometimes difficult to grab a room at a decent price during the busy season. The Art of Animation will add 1500 rooms to the property, a huge increase that will help ensure room availability.

The resort, set to open in May 2012, will offer rooms with four different themes. Each section is based on a different Disney or Pixar film, including the Lion King, the Little Mermaid, Cars and Finding Nemo. The rooms, furnishings, pools and playgrounds are designed with the films in mind, so guests staying in the “Cars” wing will be treated to Cozy-Cone inspired interiors and automotive themed furnishings.

The opening of the Art of Animation is particularly helpful to families with more than two children. Up until now, rooms that were large enough to accommodate a big family were hard to come by. Over 1000 of the rooms at the new resort will be family suites, large enough to handle families traveling with multiple children. The addition of affordable, family friendly suites makes the Art of Animation a don’t miss for large groups wishing to stay onsite.

While the Art of Animation doesn’t open until May, you can book a room now–if you are planning an Orlando vacation for spring, you won’t want to miss the newest Disney resort.

Christmas (and the entire month of December) is one of the most joyous times of year to visit Disney World in Orlando, Florida. This is not exactly a secret, and leads to huge crowds flooding the parks for most of the month. Even though the parks are crowded, you can still have plenty of fun, if you plan each day with care. Consider these ideas to help you get the most from your holiday Orlando vacation:

• Arrive early, stay late: If you want to experience as many rides as possible, set you alarm clock for early in the morning (or get an early wakeup call). You’ll have some time to play before the parks fill with festive crowds. This is particularly important if you plan on visiting the Magic Kingdom, which is small in area, and wildly popular this time of year.
• Stay on site: If possible, choose a resort that is part of the Disney family and is on site. You will be close by, so you will have less trouble with traffic–and you’ll get to take advantage of Disney’s Extra Magic Hour program as well.
• Use Fastpass: Take advantage of Disney’s free Fastpass program, and you will spend less time waiting in line, and more time actually having fun. Fastpass allows you to save your place in a ride queue, without actually standing in the line–just show up at the designated time and you’ll be sent to the front of the line.
• Avoid peak times: The theme parks will be at their busiest during the afternoon, and you won’t miss much by leaving for a few hours. Either plan on having a late lunch or early dinner around 3pm, or leave the park entirely and explore your (or another) resort for a few hours. The Disney resorts have plenty to see and do at Christmas time, so you’ll find plenty of ways to stay occupied. Head back to the park after dinner, for fewer crowds and less waiting.

If there is one character that can be considered the enduring face of an Orlando vacation, it is Mickey Mouse. In the last year, Disney World has offered more ways than ever to meet the main mouse himself, including a recently announced talking, interactive Mickey theme park character.

Mickey Mouse Fastpass:

If you’ve visited one of the Disney World theme parks in recent years, you ‘ve probably met Mickey — after waiting in a hefty line. The first change in the “Mickey Meet and Greet” offers guests the option to use Disney’s Fastpass program to avoid waiting in a long line to visit with Mickey Mouse. If getting Mickey’s autograph without delay interests you, then head to the Magic Kingdom theme park.

Just inside the park gates, adjacent to the railway station and Tony’s Town Square restaurant, is a Fastpass greeting location. You can pick up a pass to meet with Mickey later in the day; you can expect to wait a few minutes for your meeting — instead of an hour or more. You can also meet the Disney princesses in this location using the Fastpass program. If you are traveling with small children, being able to meet the characters without waiting in a huge line is a great way to add some magic to your Orlando vacation. The Fastpass program is free and included with your theme park admission, so you won’t pay any extra for your timely meeting.

Mickey Mouse has traditionally interacted with guests via pantomime and gestures — he doesn’t normally speak. While Mickey usually gets his point across just fine, a talking Mickey encounter is at the top of the wishlist for many fans.

The wait to talk to Mickey Mouse is over — Disney World just announced a pilot program featuring in interactive, vocal Mickey Mouse. This program is currently being tested in the Disney World theme parks–so if you are coming to Orlando this fall, stop in and say hi to Mickey Mouse–you may just get a verbal answer in return!

Ride refurbishments and closures happen throughout the year at the Orlando theme parks. Disney World has seen more temporary closures than usual in 2011, thanks to the Fantasyland makeover scheduled to be completed in 2012.

What refurbishments mean to you:

Knowing about ride closures in advance can help you plan your Orlando vacation. If you have your heart set on a Typhoon Lagoon day, the time to find out about the park’s 3 month refurbishment is before you leave home, not on the day you want to visit. You can also plan your trip to substitute rides and experiences for closed attractions–the upcoming closure of Dumbo, a Fantasyland staple, will be easier to handle if you know about it in advance, particularly if you are visiting with small kids, the ride’s target fan base. (Tip: If you are visiting Disney World when Dumbo is closed, head to the Magic Carpets of Aladdin in Adventureland for the same toddler-friendly ride experience).

As of mid-October, the following rides and attractions are closed for maintenance or repair. Depending on the extent of the work needed, a few of the attractions will not be open again during the fall season. A few guest favorites  have been temporarily relocated in the parks — Mickey, the Disney Princesses and the Tinkerbell fairies have all been moved to new homes during construction.

Closed for Refurbishment:

• Blizzard Beach water park, closed for seasonal refurbishment, 10/30/2011-12/3/2011
• Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, Magic Kingdom, reopening 11/17/2011
• Yakatori House, Epcot’s Japan Pavilion, reopening 11/15/2011

Moved:

• Mickey Mouse and the Disney Princesses Greeting Areas: Moved from Toontown to the Town Square Theater.
• Tinkerbell and friends, moved to Adventureland Terrace in the Magic Kingdom

Upcoming closures:

• Typhoon Lagoon: Closing for seasonal refurbishment 12/4/2011-3/17/2012
  
• Dumbo: Closing 1/9/2012-2/17/2012, as part of the Fantasyland Reboot
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Closing for an extended 4 month period beginning 1/9/2012

Checking your email, downloading music and uploading your Orlando vacation photos just got a little easier if you are staying at a Disney World hotel. Disney announced a free WiFi perk for guests staying at select onsite resorts beginning this week. While Disney has long offered in-room internet connections via a data cable, the WiFi option offer guests more flexibility and freedom.

Free WiFi is now available in each of Disney’s deluxe resorts, including the Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge. Other popular resorts offering free WiFi are convention-friendly destinations and Disney Vacation Club villas, including Disney’s Yacht and Beach Clubs and BoardWalk. Free in-room WiFi begins this week at the covered resorts.

The remaining Disney resorts still offer in room internet connections, complete with data cable, for a small daily fee ($10 per day). Each resort offers free WiFi in select lobby areas and public zones as well. While you won’t likely want to bring your laptop to the Disney theme parks, you can find free WiFi in select areas as well, including Epcot’s Innoventions area and near Town Hall in the Magic Kingdom.

While free WiFi isn’t likely to make or break your trip,  it is a nice perk. If you need to be able to get online during your Orlando vacation,check with your resort or rental home to see if Internet access of any type is provided. Most destinations have some form of Internet access in place, but if it is important to you to stay in touch online as you travel, confirm internet accessibility before you book your trip.