So much for the theory that Pirates of the Caribbean is just going to be a trilogy!
Captain Jack Sparrow will return in Pirates of the Caribbean 4. Johnny Depp signed on with Disney last week. In addition, Depp also signed with Disney to play Tonto in The Lone Ranger and the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland.
In this recent AP photo from Disney's Showcase Event at the Kodak Theater, Depp poses with Dick Cook, chairman of Walt Disney World Studios.
Most of us Pirates fans have been waiting for a fourth movie to be announced. Disney's signature final scene which is shown after the credits roll in each of the Pirates movies, is something that many moviegoers missed.
No timeline has been given for the movie's release but Disney has plenty to keep us busy until its much anticipated arrival.
Disney and dog fans will have Beverly Hills Chihuahua to look forward to this week and Bolt set to be released the week before Thanksgiving.

Disney announced today that guests who visit Walt Disney World on their birthday in 2009 will receive a free one day park admission! It must be on your actual birthday and you must show identification proving it's your birthday, but what a great gift! And if you're an annual passholder or already have your tickets, you can choose either a Birthday Fun Card in the amount equal to a one day base ticket that you must spend on your birthday, or a special Birthday Fastpass badge to use on your birthday! 

Now I told my family we probably weren't going to Disney in 2009. I might have to change my mind. I'm the only member of my family that hasn't gone to Disney over my birthday! And I share the same birthday as Mickey Mouse - November 18th!

When you go to Disney on your birthday you have to stop at guest services in the park you're going into that day and get a birthday badge. You'll get lots of happy birthday wishes and maybe even a few surprises ;)

If you want to register your birthday with Disney go to www.disneyparks.com

If you've been to Disney World lately you've probably seen the construction going on near the Contemporary Resort. Though it wasn't announced officially until today, the newly constructed crescent-shaped tower (that's walking distance to the Magic Kingdom) is called Bay Lake Towers - Disney's newest vacation club. The tower is 15 stories high and will have 300 units. Bay Lake Towers will connect to the Contemporary Resort via a pedestrian bridge on the fifth floor. In addition, Disney will also be opening 60 Treehouse Villas that are being constructed as part of the Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. These villas can be seen when taking the boat from either of the Port Orleans resorts to Downtown Disney. On our trip last month, our boat driver pointed out the construction, which had just started to the raised units. These units are in a quiet secluded wooded area of Disney.
Bay Lake Towers will likely be the most popular of the Disney Vacation Club resorts with it's wall length windows and view of the Magic Kingdom.
If you're an existing Disney Vacation Club member, you will have the first opportunity to buy into Bay Lake Towers beginning this Sunday.
For more information about the Disney Vacation Club visit www.disneyvacationclub.com

You know your an extreme Disney fan when...

Your dogs are named Disney and Tinkerbell

You and your family see hidden mickey's everywhere

Your friends call you before their travel agent when planning a Disney vacation

You MUST be planning a Disney vacation at all times!

Your wedding is Disney-themed

Your child becomes the pack leader for her friends on a school trip to Disney

You have a Disney themed room in your house

You visit the Disney Store when you need a Disney fix

Friends and family stop asking why you go there all the time (because now they know!)

You've bought or are considering a Disney Vacation Club

You no longer need maps to navigate the parks

Zipity Doo Dah is your ringtone

You have a contest to see how many times you can ride Splash Mountain in one day!

When you make pancakes for breakfast, Mickey head pancakes are expected

You have a 99 days to Disney party before every trip

Your daughter worries that your granddaughter's first word might be Mickey instead of Mommy

Your other daughter had to have her prom dress look just like Belle's dress

Your new year begins with your kids asking "When are we going to Disney this year?"

You've set out to stay at every Disney resort at least once!

Most of your holiday decorations are Disney-themed

You're a member of the Walt Disney World Moms Club

You can never have too much Disney!

While it's not something you think about while vacation planning, if you have children, eventually you'll hear about Disney's college program. 

Walt Disney World offers college students the opportunity to work in various internship positions throughout the parks. Students live on-campus in apartments provided by Disney and can participate in this program without even bringing their car. Disney offers transportation for the students to and from work, the mall, the grocery store and to various other places in and around Orlando. During my trip last December, my husband and I spoke to a student from Maine who was working in one of the countries in the World Showcase as a part of the internship program. She said she was spending 7 months there and thought it was a bit of a challenge to be so far from her family for the holidays, they visited her while she was there and she was really enjoying the experience.

She told us that when applying for an internship, the student chooses three areas of interest that they would like to work in. When accepted into the program, Disney notifies the student which area they will be working in. They get paid, they pay rent and learn how to manage money and live on their own.  It's a great way to get the experience of the outside world with a little assistance from Disney. 

For more information visit www.disneycollegeprogram.com

If you want to travel to Disney during it's quieter season, now is the time to go. It may be busy through September because free dining was offered to guests booking stays in late August through September, but after that the parks are much more manageable until the holiday season arrives.
I've visited Disney in November and December and it's a great time to be there!
It can get very crowded the week of the actual holiday, but if you arrive before that, you'll be in for a real treat.
It may be a bit early to rave about Disney at Christmas but I definitely recommend it -- it's a wonderful time to visit!
Last December we spent 6 days in Disney to see our daughter's high school chorus perform in the Candlelight Processional in Epcot. This event is a must-see if you're in Disney during the holiday season. You can purchase a dinner package that includes priority seating and dinner at an Epcot restaurant. If you don't choose the dinner package, you'll want to get in line at least an hour before the performance is scheduled.
Epcot's Food and Wine Festival is also held during the fall season and offers guests the opportunity to taste samplings made by the Disney Chefs from various restaurants.
Another popular fall event is Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party which is held throughout October.
The parks have some shorter operating hours during this season but it's a nice opportunity to see and do other things such as visit resorts you haven't been to or dine at one of their restaurants.

When I called Disney to tweak my plans prior to my trip last month, friendly cast members asked me if I wanted to add the Disney Dining Plan to my reservation. While I've done this twice - once for free and once paid ($37.99 per person, per day) - we just decided it was too much food to eat in one day. The plan gives each guest one table service meal including an appetizer, one counter service meal and one snack. When we participated in the dining plan, dessert was included also. Dessert has been dropped since then. Still, we found it to be more than we wanted to eat and we had to make reservations for table service meals, meaning we had to make sure we were in the park where our dinner reservation was. This also became too much of a chore for me on vacation, when I'd rather follow no schedule.
So when asked if I wanted the dining plan, I explained that I didn't want to be tied down to a dinner reservation every day.
I remember one conversation I had with a cast member about the dining plan and I told her if there was a dining plan where you could have 2 counter service meals a day, I'd be interested! Well, enough people must have expressed that to Disney and for 2009, they're launching a new quick service dining plan.
This plan allows for 2 counter service meals a day, two snacks and a refillable mug, all for $29.99 per day, per adult. On our trip last month, we budgeted and spent $150 per day for 4 of us.
So the new quick service plan is definitely something I'd plan for on my next trip. And just so you know, eating counter service meals in Disney doesn't mean you're eating hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken fingers for a week! We had some great counter service meals including turkey, mashed potatoes and carrots along with corn bread at the food court at Port Orleans Riverside. Many of the resort food courts (which are included in the plan) have hot meals like pasta, chicken and roast beef.
I think the new dining plan will be the best value for those of us who want to eat more on the go and freeing up valuable park time.

My husband and I recently had a conversation about our Disney trip with someone at the garage where our car was having work done. The man told us that he had drove to Disney and was staying at one of their resorts. He accidentally locked the keys in the car. He informed someone at the resort and before he knew it, a box truck arrived and when they opened it up, it was filled with everything you could imagine needing for your car. They asked him what make, model and year his car was. Then, from a wall of what appeared to be master keys, they plucked out one that opened his car door. Never charged him a dime and he was on his way. He said it could have been a nightmare waiting for road service to get there, but this process was made so simple by Disney.
His is not the first story I've heard of Disney going well above and beyond to make sure guests vacations are magical. Disney wants guests to come away from their vacations with the most magical memories. When hurricanes hit central Florida and force the parks to close for a short time, Disney has characters entertain in its resort lobbies so you're not stuck in your room wondering when the weather will stop interrupting your vacation.
I've blogged many times about the Disney Magic and how they go above and beyond to make your vacation special.
People want to get the most value from their vacation dollar. And there's a lot of value in good service.