Who says fairytales don't come true? They sure do during Disney's Princess Half Marathon Weekend! Where else do you get to run through Cinderella's Castle, meet your favorite princes and princesses, and get a "crown" for finishing?!

A concert held in North Korea for that country's new leader, Kim Jong Un, featured a few well-loved Western characters. Mickey, Minnie, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger took to the stage during a recent concert in Pyongyang while clips from Disney films played in the background.

Being on the Disney Dining Plan is a great way to reduce travel stress by pre-paying for your meals. It's important to remember though that the service tip for your waiter or waitress is NOT included in your dining plan costs and will still need to be left at the time of your meal. The old addage remains at Walt Disney World - Don't forget to tip your servers.

The next time you hop aboard one of the monorails around Walt Disney World, listen up. Recently, Disney elected to change the voice of the narrator on its monorail trains.

We reported earlier this week about the iconic Characters in Flight balloon experience in Downtown Disney being grounded after a mishap with a similar balloon in Hong Kong. It now looks like there could be a significant wait before the experience is back up and running.

Ever wanted to get the scoop on a Walt Disney World park from an insider's view? Recently, a cast member from the Magic Kingdom answered questions online during a "I Am A . . ." discussion at Reddit.com. The cast member states he/she works at the Magic Kingdom's main entrance turnstiles and also in "parade audience control;" in the past, the cast member has worked in merchanidse and at Toy Story Mania at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

HGTV stars and personalities will be lending their expertise during this fall's International Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. Starting September 28, guests can catch sessions with the stars of HGTV about gardening, food and home entertaining Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the fest.

Kicking off the lineup on September 28 will be the winner of this season's "Design Star." Here's the complete list of personalities and dates:

September 28-30: "Design Star" Season 7 winner

October 5-7: Casey Noble, "Design on a Dime"

Walt Disney World has some fabulous bars and lounges to explore throughout it's property offering fun cocktails to wet your whistle and help you indulge in tropical vacation bliss. But not everyone can or wants to consume alcohol, and with the temperatures rising this summer to record highs imbibing is not always the smartest choice.

If you're at all like me, you've wondered how would you spend sea days on a week long Disney Cruise. Well I assure you that in true Disney style the cast members strive to keep you entertained as well as offer something to learn. The spectacular enrichment series of engaging and sophisticated classes and seminars give adults a look behind the scenes and share some of the secrets of the Disney Cruise Line's magic.

A super popular spot for firework watching will be getting a makeover after the holidays. The California Grill is set to close in early 2013 for what's being called an "extensive renovation."

While there are not a whole lot of details at this time as to what exactly will change with the Contemporary Resort-based restaurant, guests can expect a brand new look for the Grill and some changes to the menu. Chef Brian Piasecki looks to be "excited" about the upcoming changes and "enhancements to the interactive kitchen." He also says: