Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1154

December 26, 2014

In Case You Missed It: Disney News and Rumors – Week of December 26 , 2014

The Ultimate Walt Disney World Holidays Tour

A few weeks ago, I was asked what the must-not-miss holiday decorations were at Walt Disney World for the holidays. Off the cuff, I rattled off the ones that I had seen in years past and that make the headlines: the gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian or the Osborne Lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. But truthfully, I had never seen all of the decorations. Would it be possible to see them all in one day? A few planning sessions later, my husband, daughter, and I set out to find out.

Our goal was simple: see the holiday decorations offerings at all Walt Disney World resorts*, all four theme parks, and Downtown Disney – and do it in one day. And, thus, the Ultimate WDW Holiday Tour challenge was born. We live-tweeted our day with #wdwholidaytour and posted updates for TouringPlans subscribers through the Lines app. Here’s our results, and our impressions.

We left home at 6:30 AM, with a goal of starting at the first resort at 7:00 AM. The plan was to do resorts from Value to Moderate to Deluxe/DVC, just to see if the quality of decorations changed between each level. We used our own car (unless other transportation is mentioned) just to make sure we could do it all in one day.

Christmas tree at the All-Star Sports resort (photo by Julia Mascardo).

All-Star Sports (6:57 AM), All-Star Music (7:05 AM), All-Star Movies (7:15 AM).

Basically if you’ve seen one of these resorts, you’ve seen them all in terms of decorations. In the lobby, you’ll find essentially the same tree and wreath décor, with subtle clues as to which resort you are at. Unless you are trying to see everything, these resorts can be skipped.

Pop Century (7:36 AM). Although Pop Century is a value resort like the All-Stars, the tree here was bigger and better decorated and the wreaths and garland appeared to be newer. The “pop” theme to it was Santa Claus from the past 50 years or so.

From there, we walked to Art of Animation (7:52 AM), and also grabbed breakfast at Landscape of Flavors. The first thing to notice about Art of Animation’s tree is that it is white and it shimmers. It also carries over some of the concept art found in the lobby chandelier into the tree, which is a nice touch. In all, if you are only going to see one Value resort’s decorations, this is the one I’d suggest seeing.

After walking back to get the car, we were now moving on to Moderates.

The Caribbean Beach tree has a very tropical slant. (Photo by Julia Mascardo)

Caribbean Beach (8:57 AM), Port Orleans French Quarter (9:23 AM), Port Orleans Riverside (9:35 AM), Coronado Springs (9:57 AM).

For the most part, upgrading from a Value to a Moderate means a little more theming to the tree, and either a larger tree (like at Port Orleans Riverside) or more of them (like four trees in the entry at Port Orleans French Quarter). My personal favorite tree of the Moderate resorts was the one at Caribbean Beach, with its colorful and tropical theme. But for the sheer wow value, the award goes to Coronado Springs, which has a gigantic tree topped with an old-fashioned angel in the check-in area. This is the first tree that I could see the average person stopping by to take a picture. I had never heard about how amazing this tree was, so it really took me by surprise. The white poinsettia garland around the resort was also quite lovely.

Now it was time to start taking time in theme parks and Deluxe resorts.

Animal Kingdom (10:35 AM). Out front, like in most of the theme parks, there is a magnificent Christmas tree. While I had an idea of what decorations were found in other parks, I couldn’t remember much being done in Animal Kingdom. We did a lap of the park, and aside from a bit of garland on the stores, the only other decorations were in Dino Land – and to the same level of decorating that you’d expect from the roadside attraction theme.

How do you make a place like DinoLand more tacky? Well… (Photo by Julia Mascardo)

Jambo House (11:28 AM). Walking into Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House is a chiropractor’s dream – everyone immediately looks up because the inside is massive. Needless to say, a massive lobby takes a massive tree, and the tree here does not disappoint. What was disappointing to me was the lack of gingerbread village downstairs next to Boma that I remembered from year’s past. Still, the tree alone makes it worth a visit. (And the Mara was a good place to take a drink break.)

From there, we took the shuttle van to Kidani Village (12:01 PM). While smaller in size, the tree at Kidani is still equally as lovely. With beaded ornaments and an African theme, it is a welcome addition to the lobby.

After taking the bus back to Jambo House to get our car, we drove to the Transportation and Ticket Center to park the car. We walked over to the Polynesian (1:02 PM), with the recognition that this year it might be a little light on decorations. We finally located the tree upstairs near ‘Ohana, but the real gem for me was a festive statue in the gift shop on our way to grab lunch at Captain Cook’s.

Aloha, Christmas! (Photo by Julia Mascardo)

We took a quick peek under the curtain to see the new lobby, but we knew we needed to keep moving. One very crowded monorail trip to the next stop, the Grand Floridian (1:55 PM). When people think of the holidays at a Disney resort, this is usually one that is high on people’s lists. From the stunning enormous tree in the lobby to the gingerbread house with the gingerbread store inside, this really is a show-stopper. After wandering downstairs to get a close look, we looked upstairs and saw the line for the monorail was all the way into the building. Thinking we were smart, we went to grab the boat to the Magic Kingdom. And we waited…

And we waited….

And eventually we arrived at the Magic Kingdom (2:55 PM) an hour after our arrival at the Grand Floridian.

Although my husband, daughter, and I have lived in Florida for nearly nine months now, we had not yet seen the Festival of Fantasy parade, and there was one specific photo that I wanted to get. Although crowds were thick, when 3:00 came and went, and 3:15 came and went, people started leaving. This meant we had an amazing view, and I got the picture I had wanted to take.

Giant dragon breathing giant fireball onto giant decorated tree? Check that off my photo bucket list. (Photo by Julia Mascardo)

By now, it was starting to feel like a very long day, but we still had miles left to go (literally). We walked to Bay Lake Tower (3:55 PM) and saw the typical lobby tree + garland setup. Then a quick elevator ride up and across the sky bridge to the Contemporary main tower (3:59 PM). No big wreath on the Contemporary this year, but they do have a mall-quality flat-panel Frozen “gingerbread” display. While I love the artwork, and I am a fan of Frozen, I always feel that the Contemporary gets short-changed every year. So much more could be done to really make this display as dynamic as the other Deluxe resorts. (Even so, this was one of the few that were getting lots of photographs taken, so you can’t argue its popularity.)

Back on the monorail we went, with somewhat shorter lines, and back to the parking lot to grab our car for a quick drive to Wilderness Lodge (4:51 PM). This is another favorite lobby of mine because of its massive scope. It was my daughter’s first visit there, and she was blown away by not only the tree, but all the detail in the lobby. The only way to get her to willingly leave was to promise to visit another day.

At this point, we had Epcot, the Studios, the Crescent Lake resorts, Downtown Disney, Saratoga Springs, and Old Key West left. Truth told, we were dreading Downtown Disney, with all the construction. Originally we had planned to park there and just use boat transportation to Old Key West and Saratoga, but with the lateness of the hour, we knew we needed to head for the Studios sooner rather than later, but decided to knock out Old Key West and Saratoga by car first.

While both of these resorts are beautiful in their own rights, when it comes to holiday decor, they were more on par with what you’d find at a Moderate resort: themed trees, wreaths, and garland. We went in, took the pictures, and left, hitting Old Key West (5:17 PM) and then Saratoga Springs (5:31 PM). Now we knew we had to make a trip to the Studios. On a Saturday night. And apparently with everyone in the Orlando metro area.

As an aside, I want to give a shout out to the security cast members who were working traffic duty on the secondary entrance to the Studios. With many incidents of road rage playing out and clearly stressed out drivers during low-light conditions, these cast members really went above and beyond to keep traffic moving as best as possible.

We left Saratoga around 5:40 PM. We arrived at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at 7:03 PM.

Thankfully, we had seen the Osborne Lights earlier in the season, because the insane crowd levels would have likely made us abort the rest of our evening. Even so, we walked as far as Studio Catering Company, watched a dancing cycle of the lights from the side, and headed on out.

Crowds for the Osborne Lights on a Saturday night can get spectacular in their own way. (Photo by Julia Mascardo)

Now we were faced again with the option for waiting on a boat to get to Epcot or walking. After our lengthy delay with the boat earlier in the day, we didn’t want to take a chance, so away we walked. This also meant we were able to hit the Boardwalk (8:21 PM) on the way. The Boardwalk has, in addition to the obligatory tree and garland setup, a small store decorated with gingerbread that sells items similar to that at the Grand Floridian. I can’t say that it would be worth a trip just to see it, but when taken with all the other Epcot resorts, this is a lovely addition.

On autopilot at this point, we we kept walking to Epcot (8:33 PM), with the goal of getting to the tree located on the World Showcase side of the land bridge between it and Future World. Surprisingly, the crowds at Epcot were incredibly light. Everyone was clearly at the Studios.

Tree photographed, and back out we went. It was the home stretch. A quick walk to the Beach Club (8:52 PM) with its amazing gingerbread and chocolate carousel. On to the Yacht Club (9:00 PM), the red-headed stepchild of resorts, getting a cute (but forgettable) train board setup along with its tree and, hidden down a hallway, a small gingerbread house decorated like Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post.

The Boardwalk gingerbread store doesn’t get as much attention as the Grand Floridian, but still is impressive. (Photo by Julia Mascardo)

Only two resorts left, so away we walked to the Dolphin (9:13 PM) and Swan (9:21 PM). At this point, with all the decorations we had seen, it was going to take a lot to impress us. And then we walked into these two hotels. In a word….Wow. The tree at the Dolphin blew me away with its beauty and size. There were candy cane planters in between the two resorts. The Swan had an amazing (albeit slightly creepy) chocolate sculpture of Santa. There were even trees inside the revolving doors! And this was after the meet and greet with Santa and Mrs. Claus had ended for the day. But the dancing lights on the palm trees were still going and were stunning. If I had to pick only one area to visit, this would be it. It simply blew us away.

The tree at the Dolphin simply blew me away. (Photo by Julia Mascardo)

Another shout out to the amazing Friendship crew who graciously took us on the last trip from the Swan and Dolphin to the Studios to get our car. Bless you, kind sirs!

Now the moment of truth: could we get to Downtown Disney and find a place to park on a Saturday night? (And, more importantly, could we get there before Wolfgang Puck Express closed to get a much-needed pizza dinner?) Surprisingly, traffic was light and parking was easily obtained next to the Casting building. We crossed the street, found a very typical but welcome sight of a decorated tree in front of Earl of Sandwich, and officially recorded our time. Downtown Disney at 10:17 PM. Our total time was 15 hours and 20 minutes. Total mileage walked that day was 17.74 miles according to my Fitbit, and we had walked 40,488 steps. Whew.

After reading all of the congratulations, the big question was whether or not we would do this again. In a word — no. Not all resorts are created equal, and to get the best of the holiday tour, all you need to do is the monorail loop resorts and Crescent Lake resorts (including the Swan and Dolphin), plus side trips to Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge. In addition, even if we wanted to do all the resorts in one day, adding the theme parks in there as well certainly set the bar too high for our comfort level. However, we now HAVE set the bar. So if anyone would like to try and beat our 15:20 record, go for it. Feel free to use #wdwholidaytour so that everyone can follow along. Oh, and for added challenge, make sure you bring a four-year-old with you.

But even though we wouldn’t do it again, we had a lot of fun doing it once, and it has given us some memories we will not forget of Walt Disney World holidays. Thank you to everyone following along at home who gave words of encouragement. We couldn’t have done it without our own personal cheering squad!

Whatever you celebrate, and in whatever way you celebrate, may your holidays be joyful! See you in 2015!

*We deliberately skipped Fort Wilderness for this trip, as the best decorations there are not provided by Disney, but instead are the individual campsites that people decorate each year. Knowing that it can take a full evening and then some to truly appreciate it all, we suggest this as a miniature version of an ultimate holiday tour, worthy of its own dedicated evening.

And to all, a good night! (Photo by Julia Mascardo)

• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print

The Ultimate Walt Disney World Holidays Tour is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

View more on Bob Sehlinger's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 26, 2014 07:00

Disney World Winter Vacation: Planning for Pool Time?

By Natalie Reinert

Water play areas like this one at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani Village, make for wet fun even when adults don’t want to swim. Photo Copyright: Disney

The other day, I was walking through the grounds of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and heard a family of three planning their afternoon. It went a little like this:

Mom: “And so we’re going back to the room…”

Child (Age 3 or 4): “I want to go swimming.”

Mom: “And we’ll take a little break and then we’ll eat something…”

Child: “I want to go swimming.”

Dad: “Then we’ll go to the park and see the Christmas parade!”

Child: “I want to go swimming.”

If you spend enough time at Disney resorts, you’ll notice this is a pretty common theme of conversation. Parents are there for the action of the theme parks, kids are swooning for the pools — whether it’s a relatively boring quiet pool or a grand themed feature pool. Adults really underestimate how much the average child longs to be immersed in chlorinated water… or the temperatures at which they’re willing to do it. For some people, the cut-off temperature is 90 degrees; others might be a little more forgiving and go with 70. Every now and then I see someone in a pool when it’s 50 degrees and I have to go have a hot chocolate on their behalf. But I’ve found that there practically has to be snow on the ground for a kid to think it’s too cold to swim.

Should you plan for pool time on your Disney World winter vacation? Your kids probably think so!

But It’s Too Cold to Swim!

Winter vacations in Florida can really take guests by surprise. In the course of a week in January, it might be 30 degrees one morning and shoot up to 80 degrees a few days later. We can talk about averages in the 60s and 70s all day long, but the reality is, weather extremes are what make these averages so mild. The weather on your trip might surprise you.

The cloud that ended my swim prematurely. Notice the pool is still full of kids.

Just a few hours after I listened to the above conversation, I surprised myself by taking a dip into the bowling pin pool at Pop Century Resort. It was only about 78 degrees, according to my weather app, but the sun was warm and Disney’s pools are heated to about that temperature anyway. I’m a Floridian and my swimming season ends in mid-October, so normally I wouldn’t go anywhere near a pool if the temperature is below 85 degrees, but with the sunshine it was really nice — and a heck of a change from the 30 degrees I’d left behind in New York City. That contrast was definitely enough to get me in the pool, and I was really glad I’d thrown my suit in my bag at the last minute. The water and the air temperature seemed to be the same, which was a fun sensation… while it lasted.

Once a cloud showed up, it was all over. I climbed out and toweled off, shivering, while the kids in the pool went on playing as if nothing had happened and the temperature hadn’t just dropped 20 degrees. Which brings me to my next point…

Children Always Think It’s Warm Enough to Swim.

You might be positive you won’t go near a pool in February, but children usually feel differently! I’ve seen happy children splashing in the Grand Floridian’s sparkling blue pool while parents and lifeguards huddle beneath sweatshirts and grip mugs of hot coffee and swap snowstorm survival stories. (The temperature was probably 65 degrees, by the way, but it was pretty windy.)

There weren’t many people immersed in the pool, sure, but the water play area was definitely getting heavy use. Maybe children just don’t feel cold. Or maybe it’s the siren song of a swimming pool muffling out all good sense. Either way, be prepared for the “can we swim?” question to pop up again and again if your visit coincides with a warm streak of weather.

What if it’s too cold for nice sensible grown-ups, but your children aren’t old enough or experienced enough to swim on their own? Don’t worry — you still have a chance to stay dry! If you’re staying at a Disney World resort, you can book a room at one of the many resorts with a splash zone or kid’s play area in the pool deck. They can play in these areas under your watchful eye (and a lifeguard’s observation) but you don’t have to get (very) wet. If they’re old enough to play without you, you can stick to a nearby lounge chair and soak up as much warm sun as possible while the kids get soaked.

These water play decks can range from simple sprinklers and fountains, like the jellyfish gardens at Art of Animation’s Finding Nemo-themed Big Blue pool, to elaborate play structures designed to get kids happily drenched, like those at Grand Floridian or Caribbean Beach. Some even have small slides. You’ll find dedicated lifeguards on hand as well.

Resorts with kid’s water play areas include:

Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Contemporary Resort
Wilderness Lodge (under construction at time of writing)
Polynesian Village Resort (under construction at time of writing)
Old Key West Resort
Saratoga Springs Resort
Port Orleans – French Quarter
Caribbean Beach Resort
Art of Animation Resort

Notice that most of the DVC and Deluxe Resorts include water play areas, Moderates are hit or miss, and the only Value to offer one is Art of Animation.

Before You Go

Pools and children’s water areas often go down for brief refurbishments in the winter months. Disney will notify guests of any closure that affect their vacations, and your travel agent is also a great resource for information. If an entire feature pool is closed, Disney will often offer an alternative experience, such as a neighboring resort’s pool or even complimentary admission to a water park.

Then just throw the bathing suits in the suitcase and see what happens! You might be pleasantly surprised by how warm the Florida sunshine is after battling the cold back home. Either way, it’s better to be prepared — you don’t want to lose out on pool time during an unexpectedly warm day. It’s wintertime in Florida — go on, go swimming!

• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print

Disney World Winter Vacation: Planning for Pool Time? is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

View more on Bob Sehlinger's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 26, 2014 03:00

December 25, 2014

25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown – Day 25: Butterbeer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

By Derek Burgan

The Christmas season is my absolute favorite time of the year. Growing up, one of the little things I loved most was getting an Advent calendar and counting down the days until Santa would be coming down the chimney. As I grew older, I had to leave Advent calendars in the rear view mirror,* but I still miss that daily countdown building anticipation to the big day. So, we’re going to start a virtual Advent calendar here at TouringPlans. For 2014, we are going to countdown our favorite drinks at Walt Disney World and the Universal Orlando Resort.

Criteria: Drinks can be alcoholic or nonalcoholic. Drinks can come from any venue on property as well as the Disney Cruise Line. Bonus points awarded for atmosphere where drink is served. Any drink with glow cubes is immediately disqualified. Ready? Let’s go!

DAY TWENTY FIVE: Butterbeer (all versions) at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Orlando Resort)

Frozen Butterbeer and regular Butterbeer with Hogwarts Castle standing majestically in the background.

The Game Changer.

When the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade Village opened in 2010, it was a brand new day at the Universal Orlando Resort. Guests were leaving with bags filled with Potter merchandise, a stark contrast for a resort that sold a ton of Thing 1 & Thing 2 shirts, but little else of note. Harry Potter and the Forbbiden Journey had a queue that guests wanted to spend more time in. Imagine that. In a world where theme parks are spending Millions (if not Billions) on getting guests through queues quicker, guests wanted to stay longer in the elaborate Forbidden Journey queue. As Vizzini would say, “Inconceivable!”

But what no one was prepared for was a little drink called Butterbeer. To say it was popular may be the understatement of the century, as Universal celebrated selling one million Butterbeers just six months after their debut. It is said that Universal made enough money of the sale of Butterbeer in those six months to completely cover the entire cost of the Wizarding World. Since the very first drinks were poured, guests have debated which was better: regular Butterbeer or frozen Butterbeer. The answer? Neither, the Hot Butterbeer is clearly the best. They are all so good they are going to collectively get the # 1 spot and, what the heck, we’re going to add in Butterbeer Ice Cream from Florean Fortescue’s as well!

Hot Butterbeer in Diagon Alley. (photo by Brandon Glover)

Butterbeer Ice Cream at the Fountain of Fair Fortune. (photo by Brandon Glover)

Mmmmmm, Hot Butterbeer…. (photo by Brandon Glover)

Getting a Butterbeer in the Wizarding World is a Must Do for every muggle (or sentient book.)

PREVIOUS DRINKS OF CHRISTMAS:

DAY ONE: Shark Attack at Chez Alcatraz

DAY TWO: Grand Marnier Slush at Epcot

DAY THREE: Flaming Moe at Moe’s Tavern

DAY FOUR: Sunken Treasure on the Disney Cruise Line

DAY FIVE: Mai Tai at Emeri’s Tchoup Chop

DAY SIX: Avocado Margarita at La Cava del Tequila

DAY SEVEN: Pumpkin Fizz at the Three Broomsticks

DAY EIGHT: Old Fashioned at Belle Vue Lounge

DAY NINE: PBR in a Paper Bay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort

DAY TEN: Bay Lake Sunset at Top of the World Lounge

DAY ELEVEN: Tongue Tying Lemon Squash at the Leaky Cauldron

DAY TWELVE: Sugar Cane Mojito at Dawa Bar

DAY THIRTEEN: Pint of Guinness at Raglan Road

DAY FOURTEEN: Hog’s Head Brew at the Hog’s Head

DAY FIFTEEN: Burnt Orange at Todd English’s bluezoo

DAY SIXTEEN: Fishy Green Ale at Fountain of Fair Fortune

DAY SEVENTEEN: Balsamic Grand at Palo

DAY EIGHTEEN: Buffalos and Bacon at The Cowfish

DAY NINETEEN: La Fin du Monde at Epcot

DAY TWENTY: Dragon Scale at the Hopping Pot

DAY TWENTY ONE: Maelstrom Margarita at La Cava del Tequila

DAY TWENTY TWO: Carl’s Combo at Rose & Crown

DAY TWENTY THREE: Duff Beer at Duff Brewery

DAY TWENTY FOUR: Lapu Lapu at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

See you tomorrow for the next entry into the 25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown, where we are going to head into Epcot’s World Showcase. If you had fun, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! and Saturday Six articles, or, for your listening pleasure, check out the Pardon the Pixie Dust podcast. Your humble author can also be seen producing typos at an inhuman rate on Twitter: @derekburgan

Special thanks to crack staff photographer Brandon Glover and Megan Stump for their invaluable assistance with this article. Be sure to also check out Brandon on The Park Blogger podcast with co-hosts Aengus Mackenzie and Brian Carey.

*That is an absolutely lie. I still buy an advent calendar every year with chocolates in it, and I also buy an annual box of Christmas Crunch, but we’ll keep that between us.

• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print

25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown – Day 25: Butterbeer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

View more on Bob Sehlinger's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 25, 2014 09:00

Daisy Lauren’s Best Week Ever: December 25, 2014

By Daisy Lauren

Hi, Everyone! Welcome to the Best Week Ever here at Walt Disney World ! This week we’re stopping by Disney’s Hollywood Studios, checking out some sweet treats at the Contempo Cafe, and taking another detailed look at the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. I can’t wait – so let’s get going!

Now, you might be asking yourself why I’m not covering the new Polynesian lobby or the Comedy Warehouse returning to the Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While I pride myself on bringing you guys the latest news from the parks every week, I’m home enjoying some time with my family for the holidays. Rather than leave you without any Disney goodness at all, I decided to pull some extra fun from the past couple of weeks to share with you. I’ll be back next week to share the latest news and to get ready for the craziness that is New Year’s Eve at Walt Disney World! I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday! How are you celebrating? I’d love to hear in the comment below!

We started celebrating a couple weeks ago in the Disney parks. As you can see to the left, we wanted to build a snowman! While it was only about six inches tall, it was the best these Floridians have done in a while. Want to see what else we did? Click to read more.

We’ve visited the Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post before but it wasn’t until I visited with my sisters that I realized that Olaf’s flower from the movie preview is outside in the “snow”. I’d completely forgotten. I love all the little details that are sprinkled throughout this area. Though, fair warning, that snow area is really slippery! I nearly fell more than once before we decided it was time to quit while we were ahead.

A few weeks back I met Santa Goofy in Storybook Circus and I was surprised how short the wait was. It makes sense now, check out the meet and greet space below at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! This looks a heck of a lot better than The Barnstormer in the background of your Christmas photo. While the wait can be more like 40 minutes to meet Santa Goofy in this area, you can’t beat this setting. Extra bonus, you can see the Obsorne Family Lights while you wait!

Next, I’m sharing one of my most closely guarded secrets, Contempo Cafe in Disney’s Contemporary Resort is the cupcake capitol of Walt Disney World! They change often and are always some of the best flavors anywhere. On the left is a Frozen cupcake with chocolate cake and peppermint frosting. I had my doubts, it looks like toothpaste! But the flavor was divine and I’m ready to go get another. On the right was a Mickey Christmas cupcake with vanilla cake and marshmallow frosting! It was yummy, but our table agreed that Frozen was the winner.

Contempo Cafe also has really good food. Pictured left is the Caprese Flatbread featuring Basil Pesto, Diced Tomato, Mozzarella Cheese, and Balsamic Glaze. At $8.49 it was a nice snack for the table to share. Pictured right is the Tuna Pita with house made chips for $9.49. If you’re thinking of trying Contempo Cafe you can find the menu here. It’s an easy monorail ride (or walk) away from the Magic Kingdom!

After an evening snack it was time to head to the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This was the second time this year I was lucky enough to attend the party and it was once again sold out. It’s been such a busy year! Something I didn’t take a photo of last time was the cookies and cocoa. I realized after I got home and was bummed I didn’t have it to share. So here you have it: snickerdoodles and cocoa. It looks like the design on the cups is more of the new “swell” Mickey design that just came out this year. They were already handing refreshments out to party guests by 6pm, which was a nice surprise!

Club Tinsel over at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café features a super fun dance party with Phineas and Ferb. I could have spent more time here dancing with the characters but I got outvoted! If your kids are into this show then they’ll love this fun detour. Not to mention there’s a cookie station outside, so you can grab a snack on your way in or out. (or both!)

Another cookie stop is over at The Crystal Palace. Since this is a table service restaurant, it’s a rare opportunity to go inside and see the decorations without dining. They even pipe in the stage show music inside. While it isn’t a very good view it’s certainly a nice escape from the crowds with comfy seats. The character topiaries are even dressed up for the holidays!

I couldn’t include Piglet and Eeyore without Pooh and Tigger! It was great to be able to get photos of these during the party since they are normally mobbed during normal restaurant hours. I’ve talked about poinsettias around the parks and resorts, but there are gobs of them in here! It just looks magical for the holidays!

Another dance party was thumping over at the Golden Horseshoe, where The Country Bears had taken over. It was very easy to get your photos taken with these hard to find characters and the bear were hilarious and full of mischief. I could have spent quite a while just watching them. The Country Bears dancing to top 40 music, who would have thought we’d see the day?

Back at Cinderella’s Castle, Celebrate The Season had taken over the stage. I swear this show hasn’t changed since I was a little girl. We thought we had decent viewing spots, but when they show started kids went up on shoulders everywhere through the crowd. I used to get upset about this, but I’ve realized I spent lots of years up on shoulders myself! I was still able to grab a few decent shots to share through all the tall toddlers.

Of course, Celebrate The Season wouldn’t be complete without Mickey and Minnie. One tip that we picked up by dumb luck, if you watch the first castle show you’re also in a good spot for the Frozen Holiday Wish and first parade of the night. While it was cramped on Main Street at least we were able to grab a spot and have entertainment available every 15 minutes or so. While it was a happy accident, I’d use this strategy again.

Who’s ready for some Olaf?? Well, I hope you’re a fan because he’s all I could see of the Frozen Holiday Wish! If I thought kids went up on shoulders for the Celebrate The Season show, it was easily double that number for the castle lighting. Personally, I’m a little tired of Frozen taking over everything. However, when I heard the collective squeal from all the kids I knew I was in the minority. The first few floats of the parade have also been taken over by characters from Frozen (pictured right).

Also, now featured prominently in the parade is Kristoff. If you could have heard all the little girls scream! I understand why the Frozen craze shows no sign of slowing down. I wonder how much longer before you can meet Kristoff in the parks and how long will that line be? Much like the meet and greet for Rapunzel, it was really Flynn all the girls wanted to meet! Speaking of, Flynn was at the party too meeting in Princess Fairytale Hall. Unfortunately, I never made it over that way.

Personally, I’m a bigger fan of the classic parts of the parade. Chip and Dale in their matching chef suits certainly qualify for that title. It’s funny to watch little kids respond to the characters they don’t know as well. I grew up with Rescue Rangers so I adore Chip and Dale, but that seems to be lacking in kids now. What do you guys think? Is there a gap or is it just in my head?

More and more, the latest characters are starting to show up in the parade to replace classic characters. While it isn’t new this year, Wreck it Ralph is featured. I kept hoping to see Hiro and Baymax but they were only there for the television parade taping. Maybe next year!

Goofy is still in his rightful place on the candy float! Of course, this is the same float that they use for the Halloween party with some slightly different decorations. I almost didn’t point that out because I know it sounds a little negative, but I’m honestly curious how many people noticed without me pointing it out. Did you know?

Classic princesses are also heavily featured. Outside of those pictured below you’ll see Jasmine, Aurora, and Tiana all aboard with their princes. Snow White and Prince Charming are also featured dancing on their own float. I can’t think of another parade where you can see such a concentration of Disney princesses in one place. It’s great for kids!

Of course, it ends with the classics! Santa and his dancing reindeer light up Main Street under a foam snow filled sky. You might have noticed that I’ve missed some of the best parts of the parade in this summary. If you check here, I purposely skipped things I’ve covered over the last few weeks. That link will take you to everything I’ve posted over the last few weeks so you can see the best of Christmas at Disney World. (It’s way too much to fit into just one blog!)

What would the party be without fireworks?? Here is a video of roughly the first half as seen from the Tomorrowland bridge. I wanted to give you an idea of what it looked like from this area and I was also hoping to get some photos of Santa Goofy in his sleigh. However, when it came time for his “flight”, Tinkerbell was the one that came down the line. I did a bit of searching online but can’t find any information. It’s been years since I watched the fireworks from in front of the castle. Was this just cut years ago? Did I make it up?

After the fireworks we decided to hop on rides with very short waits for the rest of the night. As the clock struck 12, we were perfectly timed to walk out of the park. While we had a great time at the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party I do question if it’s still worth the price. It seems much more crowded than it has been in years past and the ticket prices are steep. What do you think? Is it worth it? I’d love your opinion.

That’s everything for this week. I want to wish each and every one of you an extra magical holiday! Thank you so much for reading and commenting!

• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print

Daisy Lauren’s Best Week Ever: December 25, 2014 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

View more on Bob Sehlinger's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 25, 2014 03:00

December 24, 2014

25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown – Day 24: Lapu Lapu at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

By Derek Burgan

DAY TWENTY FOUR: Lapu Lapu at the Tambu Lounge (Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort)

Lapu Lapu at the Tambu Lounge.

We are in the middle of huge changes going on at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The Pineapple Lanai quick service station opened earlier this year, offering guests an easy way to grab a Dole Whip outside of the Magic Kingdom. The recently renovated lobby area opened, the DVC bungalows on the Poly beach should open in the spring, and 2015 will also bring the long awaited Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. While all this change is exciting, two things at this Deluxe resort are staying exactly the same: ‘Ohana and the Tambu Lounge. Located on the second floor of the Grand Ceremonial House, the Tambu Lounge is effectively the waiting area for ‘Ohana, but guests can go any time and order off the menu. Here is where you can find the iconic Lapu Lapu. Served out of an hollowed out pineapple, this legendary drink is a combination of Myers’ Original dark rum and tropical fruit juices while topped with Bacardi 151 rum.

While the Tambu Lounge doesn’t offer the full menu of ‘Ohana, it does offer many of guest’s favorite items from the restaurant including the honey-coriander chicken wings and ‘Ohana bread pudding. There is also a full bar, including some wonderful Kona beer choices on draught. Getting an ADR for ‘Ohana can be a challenge even during the slow seasons, so we consider heading to Tambu Lounge for some appetizers and a Lapu Lapu, and then proceed over to the Kona Cafe for dinner. You can’t go wrong with any combination.

Lapu Lapu. (photo by Brandon Glover)

The pure pineapple goodness of the Lapu Lapu. (photo by Brandon Glover)

Kona Longboard Island Lager and the Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale at the Tambu Lounge. (photo by Brandon Glover)

Did you know you can order a slice of ‘Ohana’s famous bread pudding at the Tambu Lounge? (photo by Brandon Glover)

PREVIOUS DRINKS OF CHRISTMAS:

DAY ONE: Shark Attack at Chez Alcatraz

DAY TWO: Grand Marnier Slush at Epcot

DAY THREE: Flaming Moe at Moe’s Tavern

DAY FOUR: Sunken Treasure on the Disney Cruise Line

DAY FIVE: Mai Tai at Emeri’s Tchoup Chop

DAY SIX: Avocado Margarita at La Cava del Tequila

DAY SEVEN: Pumpkin Fizz at the Three Broomsticks

DAY EIGHT: Old Fashioned at Belle Vue Lounge

DAY NINE: PBR in a Paper Bay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort

DAY TEN: Bay Lake Sunset at Top of the World Lounge

DAY ELEVEN: Tongue Tying Lemon Squash at the Leaky Cauldron

DAY TWELVE: Sugar Cane Mojito at Dawa Bar

DAY THIRTEEN: Pint of Guinness at Raglan Road

DAY FOURTEEN: Hog’s Head Brew at the Hog’s Head

DAY FIFTEEN: Burnt Orange at Todd English’s bluezoo

DAY SIXTEEN: Fishy Green Ale at Fountain of Fair Fortune

DAY SEVENTEEN: Balsamic Grand at Palo

DAY EIGHTEEN: Buffalos and Bacon at The Cowfish

DAY NINETEEN: La Fin du Monde at Epcot

DAY TWENTY: Dragon Scale at the Hopping Pot

DAY TWENTY ONE: Maelstrom Margarita at La Cava del Tequila

DAY TWENTY TWO: Carl’s Combo at Rose & Crown

DAY TWENTY THREE: Duff Beer at Duff Brewery

*That is an absolutely lie. I still buy an advent calendar every year with chocolates in it, and I also buy an annual box of Christmas Crunch, but we’ll keep that between us.

• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print

25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown – Day 24: Lapu Lapu at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

View more on Bob Sehlinger's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 24, 2014 09:00

Contactless Payments Are Now Accepted at Walt Disney World

By Rikki Niblett

A few months ago, I mentioned that Apple Pay was going to be accepted across the Walt Disney World Resort. Well, beginning today, officially not only will Apple Pay begin to be accepted, but also Google Wallet and other contactless credit cards may be utilized at most Disney-operated locations. These include ticket sales locations, merchandise locations, quick-service restaurants, bars and lounges, spas, and more. Do keep in mind that this type of payment will not immediately be accepted at table-service locations.

Guests can make payments by holding either their mobile device or contactless credit card near the touch-to-pay MyMagic+ devices, and the funds will be charged to your account. Guests will know that a terminal accepts electronic payments because it will include the EMVCo symbol, which looks like a series of curved lines.

EVMCo Contactless Symbol

More locations across Walt Disney World, as well as at select locations at the Disneyland Resort, will soon have the ability to accept electronic payments.

• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print

Contactless Payments Are Now Accepted at Walt Disney World is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

View more on Bob Sehlinger's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 24, 2014 08:23

Elf On the Shelf’s Night Before a Disney World Christmas

By Kylene Hamulak

Showing off his MagicBand

Does your family have any special traditions for the holidays at Disney?

This Christmas Eve, Kylene Hamulak shares the story of Leonard – her family’s companion on many trips to the World during the Christmas season.

Read on to find out more about Leonard’s adventures and maybe get some ideas for your own new traditions.

…

Meet Leonard, our family’s Elf on the Shelf. Santa no longer needs to check in on the “kids” in our family, so Leonard gets some extra perks for retirement. He still makes annual visits to our home, but now they’re just for fun – he even gets to travel with us to Walt Disney World! As Touring Plans elves prepare for their return to the North Pole, Leonard’s sharing some of his vacation favorite photos to help Santa’s scouts plan their own trips!

Grand Floridian sELFie!

Contemporary Resort's tree - Where's Leonard?

Contemporary Resort – Where’s Leonard?

‘Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house,

One Scout Elf prepared for his trip to the Mouse.

With service to Santa completed and done,

It was time for the elves to relax and have fun!

From sugary treats to each towering tree,

The North Pole of the South is surely Dis-ney!

His FastPasses booked and his camera in hand,

Leonard the Elf chose a red MagicBand.

As Santa’s sleigh paused over ol’ MCO,

Leonard sprang from the sled to check out the show.

The first things he noticed were beautiful trees,

And vowed that with each he’d take some sELFies.

At Disney’s Floridian, things were just Grand,

But the Contemporary Resort was a bit out of hand.

A 70-foot tree’s the tallest around,

And Leonard’s so tiny, he can barely be found!

Elephant sELFie

This does NOT look like the North Pole…

From safaris with elephants where the animals roam,

To trains without tracks on peaks nothing like home,

Animal Kingdom gave him all this and more,

And left him excited about the World to explore!

Now Bay Lake, Now Boardwalk,

Now the Magic King-dom

Now Osborne, Now Epcot

The fun has just be-gun!

To the Top of the World!

To the top of the Tower!

Must make the most of these

Extra Magic Hours!

With cupcakes and ice cream and sugar on sticks,

He fueled up on treats as good as St. Nick’s.

So many choices, Leonard must try them all,

For his appetite is big though his body is small!

Screamed like a little girl

An elf’s favorite food – sugar on a stick!

At Hollywood Studios, he met friends from his past,

Working at Disney as seasonal Cast.

They joked about magic, as elves often do –

Did you know that Disney elves know Santa, too?

Then came the moment he’ll never forget,

When in Epcot a familiar figure he met.

Could it be him? Could it be possibly true?

Could Santa vacation in Disney World too?

We’ll never know – the little elf was too shy,

And he just didn’t want to bother “the Big Guy”.

It did make him smile to see someone so dear –

Although, let’s be honest – that smile’s always there!

Santa? Is that you?!?

Mickey, Minnie, and Leonard

The well-traveled elf had one final wish:

To meet Disney royalty was high on his list.

Not princesses, though, that would’ve been nice –

No, this royalty was a couple of mice!

Like him, they wore “elf” hats, and boy was he flattered.

That they were just bushes did not seem to matter.

After years of making magic for kids just like you,

Leonard finally had his own Mickey dream come true!

With a full heart, he prepared to return

To the North Pole to share the new magic he learned.

Amongst music and sparkles, Leonard ended his trip

With Osborne Dancing Lights that gave his belly a flip.

From Disney with love, Leonard wished at the sight:

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Merry Christmas to all!

• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print

Elf On the Shelf’s Night Before a Disney World Christmas is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

View more on Bob Sehlinger's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 24, 2014 03:00

December 23, 2014

25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown – Day 23: Duff Beer at Duff Brewery

By Derek Burgan

DAY TWENTY THREE: Duff Beer at Duff Brewery (Universal Studios Florida)

“Here’s to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.” – Homer Simpson (photo by Brandon Glover)

Just as Universal Studios Florida itself will celebrate its 25 year anniversary in 2015, The Simpsons television show celebrated its silver anniversary this year. Since 1989, Homer and the gang in Springfield, USA have been making us laugh with hilarious observations on American culture. One of the longest running gags of the series is Duff Beer, Homer’s favorite drink of choice. Universal made Duff Beer a reality in 2013 when it expanded its own Springfield area of the park with Fast Food Blvd, Bumblebee Man’s Taco Truck, Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl, and Duff Brewery.

Duff Brewery has seating around the bar along with many tables nearby facing the Universal lagoon and the London Waterfront facade of Diagon Alley. In trademark Simpsons fashion, Duff Brewery has hilarious mock beer ads, along with nods to the iconic show itself, such as full size topiaries of the “Seven Duffs” (a takeoff on Disney’s Seven Dwarfs.) Duff Brewery offers Duff, Duff Lite, and Duff dry in bottles, along with Duff and Duff Lite on draught. For people of a certain age, Duff Beer is synonymous with growing up as Aunt Beru’s Blue Milk on Tatooine or Butterbeer in Hogsmeade village.

Part of the “7 Duffs” topiaries outside Duff Gardens. (photo by Brandon Glover)

Lagoon-side seating behind Duff Gardens. (photo by Brandon Glover)

Duff, Duff Lite, and Duff Dry all being fed from the same container. (photo by Brandon Glover0

Wonderful ads abound at Duff Gardens including this one featuring Santa’s Little Helper as Suds McDuff. (photo by Brandon Glover)

“Duff Beer. Oh yeah!” – Duffman (photo by Brandon Glover)

Sorry, no Duff Extra Cold, Duff Raspberry, Lady Duff, Duff Red, Duff Christmas Ale or Duff Zero available. (yet) – photo by Brandon Glover)

PREVIOUS DRINKS OF CHRISTMAS:

DAY ONE: Shark Attack at Chez Alcatraz

DAY TWO: Grand Marnier Slush at Epcot

DAY THREE: Flaming Moe at Moe’s Tavern

DAY FOUR: Sunken Treasure on the Disney Cruise Line

DAY FIVE: Mai Tai at Emeri’s Tchoup Chop

DAY SIX: Avocado Margarita at La Cava del Tequila

DAY SEVEN: Pumpkin Fizz at the Three Broomsticks

DAY EIGHT: Old Fashioned at Belle Vue Lounge

DAY NINE: PBR in a Paper Bay at Cabana Bay Beach Resort

DAY TEN: Bay Lake Sunset at Top of the World Lounge

DAY ELEVEN: Tongue Tying Lemon Squash at the Leaky Cauldron

DAY TWELVE: Sugar Cane Mojito at Dawa Bar

DAY THIRTEEN: Pint of Guinness at Raglan Road

DAY FOURTEEN: Hog’s Head Brew at the Hog’s Head

DAY FIFTEEN: Burnt Orange at Todd English’s bluezoo

DAY SIXTEEN: Fishy Green Ale at Fountain of Fair Fortune

DAY SEVENTEEN: Balsamic Grand at Palo

DAY EIGHTEEN: Buffalos and Bacon at The Cowfish

DAY NINETEEN: La Fin du Monde at Epcot

DAY TWENTY: Dragon Scale at the Hopping Pot

DAY TWENTY ONE: Maelstrom Margarita at La Cava del Tequila

DAY TWENTY TWO: Carl’s Combo at Rose & Crown

*That is an absolutely lie. I still buy an advent calendar every year with chocolates in it, and I also buy an annual box of Christmas Crunch, but we’ll keep that between us.

• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print

25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown – Day 23: Duff Beer at Duff Brewery is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

View more on Bob Sehlinger's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 23, 2014 09:00

Universal Orlando Crowd Report – December 14 to 20, 2014

By Fred Hazelton

Last week, we predicted that the first part of the week would stay in the lower part of our scale then increase as the weekend approached. What we observed at Universal Orlando was pretty close to that, with the first half of the week hovering at a level ‘3’ followed by three days at a level ‘4’. Only two of our park level predictions missed by more than one index level.

Let’s look at how the crowd levels stacked up each day last week on the TouringPlans.com Universal Orlando Resort Crowd Report:

Universal Orlando Resort Crowd Levels – Daily Breakdown

(Click to view overall details for this day)

Sunday, December 14, 2014

WHAT WE

THOUGHT
WHAT WE

SAW
ANALYSIS

Universal Studios

2

2

Islands of Adventure surprised us a little on Sunday with wait times a few minutes higher than expected. Especially at Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (38 minutes, predicted 17) and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (23 minutes, predicted 19). Everywhere else our predictions hit the mark.

Islands of Adventure

2

4

(Click to view overall details for this day)

Monday, December 15, 2014

WHAT WE

THOUGHT
WHAT WE

SAW
ANALYSIS

Universal Studios

3

3

No errors with our predictions on Monday. Despicable Me hit 40 minutes (predicted 42) and Revenge of the Mummy averaged 10 minutes, as predicted.

Islands of Adventure

3

3

(Click to view overall details for this day)

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

WHAT WE

THOUGHT
WHAT WE

SAW
ANALYSIS

Universal Studios

2

3

Another good day on Tuesday, both for our predictions and for guests visiting the parks. Both parks saw less than 30 minute waits at all the major attractions.

Islands of Adventure

2

2

(Click to view overall details for this day)

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

WHAT WE

THOUGHT
WHAT WE

SAW
ANALYSIS

Universal Studios

2

3

In terms of the numbers, Wednesday matched what we saw on Tuesday although Despicable Me reached an average posted time of 42 minutes (predicted 44).

Islands of Adventure

2

2

(Click to view overall details for this day)

Thursday, December 18, 2014

WHAT WE

THOUGHT
WHAT WE

SAW
ANALYSIS

Universal Studios

3

4

Thursday is the first day where we saw wait times increase slightly. The ‘4’ at The Studios and ‘3’ at Islands of Adventure represents the largest crowd we’ve seen at Universal since Thanksgiving.

Islands of Adventure

3

3

(Click to view overall details for this day)

Friday, December 19, 2014

WHAT WE

THOUGHT
WHAT WE

SAW
ANALYSIS

Universal Studios

5

4

Friday’s crowds continued the slight increase that we saw on Thursday. Wait times were 3 to 8 minutes higher on Thursday/Friday than they had been all week and in fact higher than most of Fall, 2014.

Islands of Adventure

4

3

(Click to view overall details for this day)

Saturday, December 20, 2014

WHAT WE

THOUGHT
WHAT WE

SAW
ANALYSIS

Universal Studios

6

5

Saturday’s crowd did not quite live up to the wait times we predicted, especially at Islands of Adventure. Average posted waits were 10 to 12 minutes lower than we predicted.

Islands of Adventure

5

3

What to Expect This Week

December 21 to 27, 2014

How Crowded is Universal Orlando Resort?

This week is the first week of the peak Christmas season. Wait times will build steeply starting on December 23 and will stay high until January 2.

To see Universal Orlando Resort Crowd predictions for the days of your vacation, check the Crowd Calendar.

To get details about our predictions of future crowds or details about crowds in the past check out the Crowd Calendar and select “Jump to Date” on the left margin.

• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print

Universal Orlando Crowd Report – December 14 to 20, 2014 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.