Family travel, entertainment, mom blog | Theme Park Mom (Leigh Caldwell)

Are you planning to spend Wednesday night in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World? The park is open for 24 hours straight for the first time ever, from 6 a.m. Feb. 29 to 6 a.m. March 1.

It’s all part of a promotion called “One More Disney Day,” and even these old bones are planning to pull an all-nighter and be there in the wee hours to join in the fun.

Disney has announced a special entertainment lineup for the overnight hours, so here’s what’s in store:

• Two performances of the Main Street Electrical Parade, at 10 p.m. and midnight
• Four showings of “The Magic, The Memories and You!” at 7:45 p.m., 9 p.m., 11 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.
• The Frontierland Hoedown near Country Bear Jamboree, at 2:45 a.m., 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.
• Disney’s Dance the Night Away Party at Cinderella Castle, from 1 a.m. – 5:30 a.m.

In addition there will be character greetings throughout the night, including:

• Phineas and Ferb in Tomorrowland
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in Fantasyland
• Mickey and Minnie Mouse in Town Square, wearing their pajamas for the party

I am going to be seeking out a picture with Mickey and Minnie in their pajamas for sure, as that’s one I don’t have in my collection!

If you are headed out to the parks on Leap Day, or even if you want to play along from home, I’ve designed a One More Disney Day photo challenge that I would love for you to join. Check out this blog post for all the details: 24 hours of Disney photo challenge.

One of my biggest complaints about Walt Disney World is the lack of variety on kids’ menus at the resort. It’s something I’ve voiced to the culinary folks at Disney anytime I get a chance to talk with them. While I understand that some children are only happy with macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets, my child — and many other children — are more adventurous eaters, and I would like there to be more choices for them.

Now Walt Disney World has granted my wish, at least at the Magic Kingdom. I am thrilled with some of the new kids’ menu choices at the sit-down restaurants there. Here’s a rundown of the new offerings:

At Tony’s Town Square:
Steak skewer “spiedini” with roasted sweet potato fries and fresh fruit
Multigrain grilled cheese “dippers” served with tomato sauce

At Liberty Tree Tavern:
Barbecued chicken and pineapple flatbread pizza with a side of crisp veggies and apples
Oven-roasted turkey with mashed potatoes, veggies and fruit

At Cinderella’s Royal Table:
Chicken drumette with rice and broccolini
Grilled beef skewers with mashed potatoes and corn
Chicken pot pie topped with a biscuit crust

At The Plaza Restaurant:
Grilled chicken slices, cous cous and a fresh fruit skewer

Here’s hoping the new kids’ meals are a success and the increased variety quickly spreads to other parks at Walt Disney World.

Christmas means giving, and the most giving character we know is Santa Claus.

There are fewer sights more heartwarming than seeing your little one snuggle in the lap of the jolly old elf – or one of his helpers – while whispering her wishes for what she might find under the tree on Christmas morning.

That’s why I love that I can take the Theme Park Kid to see Santa during a holiday shopping trip to the Downtown Disney Marketplace at Walt Disney World Resort.

You and the young ones can visit Santa every day through December 24 at Santa’s Chalet from noon to 10 p.m. And beginning Christmas Day, “Santa Goofy” will meet and greet from 3 to 10 p.m. through New Year’s Day.

And while you’re checking off items on your gift list, you can enjoy other holiday-themed events and shows that are part of the Festival of the Seasons at Downtown Disney: carolers, Latin, jazz and pop performers singing traditional music, costumed stilt walkers and DJ-led holiday dances. All of this happens amid the many lights and decorations of the Yuletide season.

When Melanie LaValley and Eric Gocinski met in 2008 as Cast Members while working at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, little did they know that one day they’d be meeting face-to-face again at Walt Disney World…but this time, for their fairy tale wedding.

The soon-to-be-wed pair, of Orlando, Fla., is among 11 couples from 11 different cities, including Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Mo., and Makawao, Hawaii, to say “I do” at Disney on 11/11/11—a date that has special meaning to LaValley and Gocinski.

“Eric’s wish was for us to get married on 11/11/11 in honor of my birthday on Dec. 11,” LaValley said. “And since we made our first memories together at Disney, there’s no better place to take this new step in our lives together than the happiest place on earth.”

Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings hosts more than 1,000 nuptials per year, but the 11 weddings on Nov. 11 will be the first time that the number of nuptials coincides with the number of the month, day and year of the wedding.

“Our couples have always loved sequential number wedding dates and we are already beginning to hold space for 12/12/12,” said Korri McFann, Worldwide Marketing & Business Development Director, Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons. “Couples have even moved venues to make sure their wedding stays on one of these very special dates.”

Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings has been making memories come true for couples and their guests for more than two decades. Traditionally recognized as a top-ranked wedding and honeymoon destination, Walt Disney World offers a variety of locations, including Disney’s Wedding Pavilion, outdoor garden settings, gazebos and courtyards, as well as indoor resort locations. All told, more than 40,000 couples have married at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland and aboard the ships of Disney Cruise Line.

For more information on Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons, please visit DisneyWeddings.com or call 321/939-4610.