MSC LAUNCHES NEW TEEN ACTIVITIES

MSC Grandiosa will offer new teen activities when she makes her debut in November. The Drone Academy, MSC Dance Crew, and Spy Mission. As well as developing a new web series targeted for the teens.

MSC cruises welcomes over 350,000 children onboard each year. MSC has had an increasing number of teens sailing making up close to 40% of their young guests. According to Matteo Mancini, the children’s entertainment manager at MSC – This has driven MSC’s development of exciting new teen focused entertainment activities and a new series dedicated to teens. MSC is working with London based immersive agency The Department, specialists in creating theatrical and technology-driven productions, to introduce new options.

The Drone Academy will take place in MSC Grandiosa’s Sportsplex venue, this high-energy drone relay race comes to life at night thanks to fluo effects and glowing drones. Teens are trained in piloting skills before competing in teams to race through an arena, navigating 15 obstacles in the quickest time possible.

MSC Dance Crew developed with Fremantle, the production company behind the global hit series ‘Idols,’ ‘The X Factor’ and ‘Got Talent,’ this is a new competition where teams ages 12-17 battle it out to win the title of dance crew of the year.

Spy Mission where young audiences play a central role in a new, immersive roaming spy experience. Participants are led through scenes blending reality and fiction that take place throughout the ship. They unravel storylines, follow clues and solve a mystery to win prizes.

Web series “Cabin 12006” is a new seven-episode series follows teenager Markus as he embarks on his first cruise but his vacation doesn’t quite go to plan and turns into an unexpected adventure. MSC Bellissima’s Cabin 12006 is full of unanswered questions and surprises, and it’s down to Markus and his friend Lucas to solve the mystery with the help of virtual personal cruise assistant Zoe. Meanwhile, two young guys dreaming of a career on a cruise ship come aboard for an internship and unintentionally get tangled in the tale via a whirlwind love story.

Viacom collaboration is a series that has been written and shot in collaboration with Viacom, the media group behind Nickelodeon. The series features talents including Luciano Spinelli, Max & Harvey, Matteo Markus Bok, Sespo, Valerio Mazzei, Rosalba and, for the first time as comedians, kids from UNICEF Ambassador group Kids United. Collectively they have millions of followers across their social channels and are known by kids and teens worldwide. Filming is under way on board MSC Bellissima, with the episodes expected to launch early in 2020. 

MSC has also introduced a new offering MasterChef at Sea Juniors which launched last October on MSC Seaview and is rolling out fleetwide across the entire MSC Cruises, meaning that kids on board any ship will be able to take part in the interactive two-stage cooking competition. This activity is developed to help inspire a new generation of children to take an interest in cooking and encourage healthy eating. The activity helps children to practice useful techniques and cultivate creativity in the kitchen through recipes devised by Rukmini Iyer, a MasterChef contestant from 2013 and author of two best-selling cookbooks.

MSC continues with a comprehensive entertainment schedule offering hundreds of hours of activities each week, dedicated spaces for different age groups, water parks, a high-tech virtual games arcade and more. MSC which was once known as a more adult oriented cruise line is making their way to become a very popular family friendly option for family cruising.

DISNEY SKYLINER OPENS SEPT. 29, 2019

On September 29, Disney Skyliner gondolas will officially begin transporting guests around Walt Disney World Resort.  This state of the art transportation system offers a new way to experience the resort with amazing views only available from the sky.  Disney Skyliner connects Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot to four resort hotels.  Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and the new Disney’s Riviera Resort scheduled to open in December 2019.

Some Disney Skyliner cabins feature graphics based on Disney films, attractions and characters, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Chip & Dale, Coco, Goofy, Finding Dory, Haunted Mansion, Monsters Inc, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Ratatouille.

STAR WARS: RISE OF THE RESISTANCE SCHEDULES OPENING

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will be opening December 5, 2019 at Walt Disney World Resort. If this date sounds familiar, that’s because it is Walt Disney’s birthday. What better way to honor the ultimate storyteller than by introducing the most immersive and advanced attraction ever imagined in a Disney Park.

When it opens, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will blur the lines between fantasy and reality and will put Guests in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance. Guests will be recruited to join Rey and General Organa at a secret base. Along the way, they will be captured by a First Order Star Destroyer. With the help of some heroes of the Resistance, they break out and must escape the Star Destroyer, protect the secret base, and stay one step ahead of Kylo Ren.

As soon as work is completed at Walt Disney World, they will be heading back to California and completing the same attraction at Disneyland Resort where Stars Wars: Rise of the Resistance is scheduled to open on January 17, 2020.

LYFT BECOMES OFFICIAL RIDESHARE AT DISNEY PARKS!!!

The popular Minnie Van transportation service at the Walt Disney World Resort is celebrating a major milestone, 1 Million Guests Magically transported!!!
It was just announced that Lyft is now the official rideshare of Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort and new enhancements will be added to the Walt Disney World Resort service as early as this fall to include easy access to request Minnie Van ride, find the most convenient pickup locations, and even select a wheelchair accessible vehicle. Since 2017, the Minnie Van fleet has been taking guests everywhere they want to go at the Walt Disney World Resort in a magical way that only Disney can do.

DISNEY RESORT BENEFITS OFFERED BY NEARBY ORLANDO HOTELS

Nearby hotels in the Disney area in Orlando will now be offering select Disney Resort hotel benefits with their stays. Select hotels in 2019 and 2020 with valid Walt Disney World theme park admission will have access to the Walt Disney World theme park Extra Magic Hours benefit as well as the opportunity to reserve select FastPass experiences up to 60 days in advance of their stay.
Hotels included in this benefit are the Disney springs resort area hotels, which are designated official Walt Disney World hotels: The Four Seasons Orlando Resort, The Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, and The Waldorf Astoria Orlando. The Disney Springs Resort area hotels include: Best Western Lake Buena Vista, B Resort & Spa Lake Buena Vista, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando, Hilton Orlando Bueno Vista Palace, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Holiday Inn Orlando Disney Springs area. Wyndham Lake Buena Vista and Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista.
Each day one of the Walt Disney World Theme Parks opens early or extends later for guests to enjoy select attractions and during select dates, the Extra Magic Hours benefit may also be offered at a Disney Water park. Guests can view the Extra Magic Hours calendar at Disneyworld.com/parkhours, or request a copy of the printed Times Guide available in the hotel lobby.
In addition guests at these hotels who have a valid theme park ticket or confirmation number and hotel reservation number will be able to link their hotel reservation on MyDisneyExperience.com and, with a linked, valid theme park ticket, these guests can reserve select FastPass+ experiences up to 60 days in advance. Guests should connect with their travel provider to ensure the provider can give the guest the necessary ticket confirmation and hotel reservation number needed to utilize this benefit. These hotel benefits are available now for travel dates in 2020, and are subject to change without notice. Guests without the Park Hopper Option or Park Hopper Plus Option must use their ticket for admission to the same theme park where they would like to enjoy the Extra Magic Hours benefit.

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES ANNOUNCES MARDI GRAS’ CRUISE DIRECTOR & ENTERTAINMENT DIRECTOR

Carnival cruise lines has announced that long time entertainment members Matt Mitcham and Hugo Hidalgo will serve as cruise director and entertainment director of the highly anticipated ship which is set to debut in August 2020. The dynamic duo will take fun to the next level aboard the Mardi Gras as they lead the wide range of entertainment offerings such as first seagoing version of the popular game show Family Feud, new high-tech Playlist Productions shows, the hilarious Punchliner Comedy Club, live music throughout the ship and a number of soon to be announced entertainment options.

Matt Mitcham a native of Birmingham, England, and a 10-year Carnival veteran, joined the company as an entertainment host and quickly moved through the ranks becoming a cruise director in 2012. He has become one of the most popular cruise directors in the industry.

Hugo Hidalgo joined Carnival in 2012 as a Fun Squad member and has since held many entertainment positions allowing him to fully understand what it takes to keep the guests excited and wanting more. He is known for his hands on leadership approach and attention to detail, Hidalgo has earned several accolades, including Entertainment Director Rookie of the Year and Team Leader of the Month, as well as recognition for his team’s efforts in raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The duo will be a great addition to the new mega ship and bring all the fun Carnival has to offer.