Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1160
December 9, 2014
Disneyland Resort Crowd Report – November 30 to December 6, 2014
Last week, our crowd projections did well the first half of the week but our second half did not properly reflect the impact of Candlelight Processional on wait times across the resort. We saw average wait times on Thursday through Saturday at or near the highest points on our scale in some cases.
Let’s look at how the crowd levels stacked up each day last week on the TouringPlans.com Disneyland Resort Crowd Report:
Disneyland Resort Crowd Levels – Daily Breakdown
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
6
5
Steady crowds on Sunday but not quite enough to reach the level ’6′s we predicted. Big Thunder Mountain railroad averaged 24 minutes (predicted 24) while Radiator Springs Racers hit 73 (predicted 72).
Disney California Adventure
6
4
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
3
6
Monday’s crowd was predicted to be slightly lower than Sundays but in fact it edged a little higher thanks to average posted waits of 28 minutes at its a small world (predicted 18) and 23 at Pirates of the Caribbean (predicted 13).
Disney California Adventure
3
4
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
3
3
Low crowds on Tuesday as predicted with no attraction reaching an average posted time above 33 minutes (Peter Pan’s Flight).
Disney California Adventure
3
1
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
3
2
Both parks remained slow on Wednesday. Only Tower of Terror (38 minutes) and Radiator Springs Racers (68 minutes) had significant wait times.
Disney California Adventure
2
3
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
3
7
Thursday began a three day stretch of increased crowds across the resort. Disneyland Park saw average posted times such as 35 minutes at Jungle Cruise and 43 minutes at Space Mountain.
Disney California Adventure
3
6
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
4
7
More high waits on Friday, especially at Disneyland Park. Alice In Wonderland averaged 41 minutes and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage averaged 29.
Disney California Adventure
3
5
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
6
9
Wait times on Saturday were as high as we’ve seen all Fall at Disneyland Park. We measured a 58-minute average at Indiana Jones Adventure (predicted 48) and 40 minutes at Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin (predicted 33).
Disney California Adventure
4
6
What to Expect This Week
December 7 to 13, 2014
How Crowded is Disneyland Resort?
We are predicting a moderate week for crowds at Disneyland Resort this week with wait times between a level ’4′ and ’6′ on our scale, on average as the countdown to Christmas crowds begins. Historically, the rush of guests to the resort for Christmas does not begin until December 22 or 23.
To see Disneyland 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
Disneyland Resort Crowd Report – November 30 to December 6, 2014 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Universal Orlando Resort Crowd Report – November 30 to December 6, 2014
Post-Thanksgiving week crowds at Universal Orlando Resort were very low, some of the lowest we’ve seen at any theme park this Fall. Guests to Universal last week saw near empty parks in the early morning with lower than average crowds building in the afternoons. Only Saturday saw park levels above a level ’2′ on our scale.
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)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
3
2
Sunday’s crowd was the first of a streak of days with no park reaching a crowd level above ’2′ on our scale. Only Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, at 37 minutes (predicted 41) saw average wait times above 20 minutes.
Islands of Adventure
4
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
2
2
Islands of adventure crowds were equally as slow on Monday including average posted waits like 10 minutes at Hulk (predicted 11) and 22 minutes at Flight of the Hippogriff (predicted 26).
Islands of Adventure
2
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
2
2
Despicable Me reached an average of 23 minutes on Tuesday which was the lowest average we’ve seen there since early September.
Islands of Adventure
2
1
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
2
2
Wednesday’s crowds were similarly low, as predicted, including waits like 5 minutes at Dragon Challenge and 10 minutes at Spider-Man.
Islands of Adventure
1
1
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
2
2
Thursday brought the third day in a row that Islands of Adventure stayed at its lowest level on our scale. We saw averages of 21 minutes at Forbidden Journey (predicted 18) and 15 minutes at Spider-Man (predicted 13).
Islands of Adventure
2
1
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
2
2
Crowd level ’2′s across both parks on Friday, as predicted. Shrek, The Simpsons Ride, Revenge of the Mummy and Men in Black all saw averages around 10 minutes.
Islands of Adventure
2
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
3
4
Universal Studios broke through the sting of level ’2′s at hit a level ’4′ on Saturday thanks to average posted waits like 18 minutes at Rip Ride Rockit (predicted 20) and 37 at Transformers: The Ride-3D (predicted 36).
Islands of Adventure
3
2
What to Expect This Week
December 7 to 13, 2014
How Crowded is Universal Orlando Resort?
Mid-December will continue to be a fantastic time of year to visit the Universal Orlando Resort with crowd levels well below average all week.
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 Resort Crowd Report – November 30 to December 6, 2014 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
December 7, 2014
25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown – Day 7: Pumpkin Fizz at the Three Broomsicks
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 SEVEN: Pumpkin Fizz at the Three Broomsticks (Islands of Adventure)
Pumpkin Fizz at the Three Broomsicks. (photo by Brandon Glover)
When the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade Village opened in 2010, it brought along several drinks straight out of the pages of the Potter books by JK Rowling. Everyone knows Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice, the latter of which has a very distinctive pumpkin cap to the bottle. While both those beverages have seemingly become a ubiquitous part of experiencing WWOHP, what is lesser known is that another drink from the books is served inside the Three Broomsticks. Pumpkin Fizz is a carbonated version of Pumpkin Juice and has the taste of pumpkin pie soda. You’ll find hints of cinnamon, nutmeg and even a bit of apple cider in Pumpkin Fizz, making it a great drink to enjoy during the holiday season.
I love getting a Pumpkin Fizz and enjoying it on the back patio of the Three Broomsticks, or I’ll take a walk outside and stand on the bridge that faces Hogwarts Castle. The complete level of immersion within the Wizarding World is hard to explain, but it is something very special, especially to fans of Potter (like myself.) While I’m not nearly as big a fan of regular Pumpkin Juice, there is a lot to say for getting bottles of it to bring back home for people who can’t make it to Universal. Pumpkin Juice is more well known (Fizz was mentioned in one book, Juice was mentioned in several books and several of the Potter movies) and, as mentioned previously, stands out visually with its terrific bottle. But, if you’re in Hogsmeade Village, pass on the Pumpkin Juice and go straight for the Pumpkin Fizz, you won’t regret it.
Pumpkin Fizz. (photo by Brandon Glover)
The Three Broomsticks in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade Village. (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
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 7: Pumpkin Fizz at the Three Broomsicks is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
December 6, 2014
25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown – Day 6: Avocado Margarita at La Cava del Tequila
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 SIX: Avocado Margarita at La Cava del Tequila (Epcot)
Jalapeño margarita (left) and Avocado margarita (right) at La Cava del Tequila. (photo by Stacey Lantz)
Epcot’s La Cava del Tequila is hands down one of our favorite places on Disney property to get a drink. Located inside the Mexico pavilion’s incredible pyramid, La Cava’s dark, intimate, cave-like atmosphere is off the charts. There isn’t much food at La Cava (although of the limited menu, we do highly recommend the chips and guacamole,) but that doesn’t matter because you’re here for the widest selection of margaritas and tequila shots in the theme park universe, not to mention, the best. For Day 6 of the countdown we are spotlighting the Avocado Margarita, a drink so popular it seems to have formed its own cult following within the Disney community. While technically a frozen margarita, the actual drink is more akin to a smoothie, with a smooth taste that is almost impossible to describe. However, we promise you’ll be back for more. The servers at La Cava are also some of the most knowledgable at WDW, so be sure to ask them recommendations based on your personal preferences.
Avocado Margarita at La Cava.
Also worth going our of your way to try – the signature tequila flight. This flight includes shots La Partida Blanco, Don Julio Reposado, and Gran Centenario Añejo tequila, along with a salsa chaser. Trust us, after a tequila flight, a ride on the nearby Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros is even better.
Tequila flight. (photo by Brandon Glover)
Tequila flight. (photo by Brandon Glover)
La Cava del Tequila also has one of the better social media presences of any brand within the theme parks, so be sure to follow them on Twitter: @cavadeltequila Just seeing these drinks again makes us want to get into the car and take a quick trip to World Showcase, but something tells us this won’t be the last time you hear of La Cava during the 25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown….
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
See you tomorrow for the next entry into the 25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown, where we are going to head over to the Magic Kingdom resort area. 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, Stacey Lantz, 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. And don’t forget to also take a gander at Stacey’s fantastic blog, Confessions of a Disney Nerd. Filled with optimism, whimsy, and is a refreshingly fun take on the world of Disney we all know and love.
*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 6: Avocado Margarita at La Cava del Tequila is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
SATURDAY SIX: In Memoriam – Six Things We Lost From the Theme Park World in 2014
By Derek Burgan
This week’s SATURDAY SIX takes a look at Six Things We Lost From the Theme Park World in 2014. As theme park fans, we’ve had a lot to be thankful for this year. Unfortunately for us, the theme park business itself seems to be turning into a zero-sum game, where we only get new things if we lose something else. So while it’s fantastic that we’re getting a Frozen attraction, James Cameron’s World of Avatar, and restaurants such as Cowfish, it comes with a sense of sadness as it also means we’re probably saying goodbye to something in the parks and resorts that we have been enjoying. Today we pay our respects to some of those that we lost in the past year, starting with….
# 6 – Camp Minnie-Mickey/ Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade (Animal Kingdom)
Regular readers of the SATURDAY SIX know how much we love Animal Kingdom, so it was tough to see two things leave this year: Camp Minnie-Mickey, and Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade. While Camp Minnie-Mickey had no major attractions outside of a stage show and character meet-and-greets, the entire area was wonderfully designed and was delightful to take in while appreciating all the whimsical details. The area of Camp Minnie-Mickey is scheduled to be part of the upcoming Pandora expansion to the park.
Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Daisy Duck taking a Jr. Woodchuck stroll through Camp Minnie Mickey. (photo by Brandon Glover)
Losing Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle parade was sad to see, as it leaves the Magic Kingdom as the only park at WDW with daytime parades. We love Festival of Fantasy as much as anyone, but it would be nice to have similar experiences at Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot. The music for Jammin’ Jungle was fantastic, there were some truly creative puppetry, and the safari jeeps were just plain fun. Here’s hoping that when all the work is done at Animal Kingdom for the Avatar expansion and the upcoming Rivers of Light nighttime spectacular, that a new parade comes back to the park too.
Mickey Mouse waving goodbye to the Jammin’ Jungle parade at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. (photo by Brandon Glover)
# 5 – Wimpys (Toon Lagoon, Islands of Adventure)
My white whale.
I am still not 100% convinced Wimpy’s was ever actually open. In fact, the restaurant could actually be an elaborate facade for a Bilge Rat Team Member break room. After seemingly hundreds of visits to Islands of Adventure, I never once saw Wimpy’s open, only signs directing me back to Comic Strip Cafe as an alternative. Universal has some odd operating hours for its restaurants, such as the Captain American Diner being open for such a short window of time that even a banker would blush, but I’ve eaten there. I’ve eaten at Green Eggs ‘n Ham Cafe in Seuss Landing, another “seasonal” restaurant like Wimpy’s. I’ve eaten everywhere on property. Everywhere… but Wimpy’s.
Wimpy’s, the only way I have ever personally seen it.
This picture by Seth Kubersky may be photo-shopped.
# 4 – The Giggle Gang (Storybook Circus, Magic Kingdom)
“The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long.” – Lao Tzu
Blink and you may have missed them, but the Giggle Gang‘s short run in Storybook Circus came to an end this year. In the last couple years, Magic Kingdom has made an effort to extend streetmosphere characters beyond Main Street. Both Fantasyland and Storybook Circus were given walk around characters who would interact with guests. The Royal Majesty Makers, ambassadors of Cinderella’s Court, are still cavorting in Fantasyland, but Chuckles Buffoon McMonkeyshine III, Whinny Horselaugh and Snort were given their pink slips in Storybook Circus. Sources tell us that, upon receiving their walking papers, all three stuffed themselves into one Smart Car and drove off into the sunset.
The Giggle Gang in Storybook Circus.
The Giggle Gang in Storybok Circus.
# 3 – Off Kilter (Canada Pavilion, Epcot)
Like Maelstrom, the band Off Kilter has been performing in World Showcase for so long that many guests can’t remember a time when they weren’t playing there. The kilt-wearing band that you could hear clear across the lagoon, had become a part of Epcot’s overall atmosphere. The group always played with high energy and were very entertaining. Let’s face it, how many rock bands do you know that use bagpipes in their sets?! Off Kilter was a unique experience, and its loss was only made worse by being replaced with a lumberjack show.
Off Kilter. (photo by Brandon Glover)
# 2 – NASCAR Sports Grille (Universal CityWalk)
Heaven needed a sports bar.
It’s still hard to write about this one. The butt of many jokes, and openly mocked even by Universal fans, the NASCAR Sports Grille closed its doors for the final time in November. It’s legacy? First of all, NASCAR had the greatest appetizer in any Orlando restaurant. Le Cellier’s cheddar cheese soup and Sanaa bread service taste like hours-old french fries from an All-Star resorts food court compared to NASCAR’s fried pretzel breadsticks. Not only were there dozens of big screens around the restaurant playing all the games from every professional sport, but many of the individual booths had their own TV in them. This is not a drill people! Lastly, NASCAR will be remembered as an innovator in the area of souvenir mugs with its legendary FAN FUELER. Not only are you drinking beer out of a gas can, you’re also drinking it out of a straw, which is next level bonkers.
I think many guests were turned off by the NASCAR name itself, not realizing that once walking inside the restaurant it was more like being at the ESPN Club at Disney’s Boardwalk, minus the two hour wait. It’s not yet known what will be replacing the NASCAR Sports Grille. The good money is on a NBC Sports bar and grille. One rumor making the rounds recently is a Cheesecake Factory going into CityWalk. I’ve argued with my fellow Universal friends that the area needs an over-the-top family friendly restaurant like T-Rex at Downtown Disney. But it really doesn’t matter. Like Rose on the Titanic, I have watched my beloved Jack Dawson be swallowed by the sea…. but… somehow… my heart will go on.
The iconic gas can souvenir mug of NASCAR Sports Grille.
Fried pretzel breadsticks, the greatest food item in theme park history. Goodnight, my sweet prince.
Before we get to #1, I think I should add that Epcot’s Maelstrom was originally penciled in as taking the top spot. However, we just covered the Maelstrom/Frozen story in last week’s SATURDAY SIX while handing out the 2014 “Turkey” of the Year awards, and we’ll also be putting a spotlight on the now-extinct attraction in an upcoming article as well. So don’t cry for the oil rigs, trolls, or that weird guy on the huge mural who looked like an extra in the GEICO “caveman” commercials, as Maelstrom will always be in our hearts and minds.
# 1 – Push the Trashcan (Magic Kingdom)
Keep it simple, stupid.
For me, the news of Push leaving the Magic Kingdom earlier this year wasn’t even the headline. I was actually floored by finding out that Push wasn’t the creation of Walt Disney Imagineering, but instead was contracted out from a third party vendor. Arguably more successful from a guest standpoint than any of the Disney-created Living Character Initiative audio-animatronics (including Muppet Mobile Labs and Lucky the Dinosaur) who would have thought a talking trashcan would become so popular? The genius is in its simplicity. We’ve all seen and interacted with trashcans at theme parks a million times, but Push was the one trashcan who interacted back. Entertaining guests for almost 20 years, Push’s legacy will be having guests wondering if the trashcan they are about to use will talk back to them for at least the next 20 more.
Push, the trashcan. (photo courtesy of AttractionsMagazine.com)
HONORABLE MENTION: King of Kong arcade (Orlando International Airport)
While not technically in “the theme park world,” the Orlando International Airport is the first stop for many Disney and Universal vacationeers, so I’m gonna allow it. The airport housed what is possibly the greatest idea for an arcade of all time. Based on the incredible documentary King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, here was an actual video game arcade based on a movie about video games. Talk about meta. First, let’s get the bad news over with. As an actual arcade, it wasn’t that good. There weren’t many games overall, and – inconceivably – there was no Donkey Kong game. Whaaaaaat?!
That said, the signage of the arcade brought back every feeling from watching the documentary. Billy Mitchell, the smug “villain” versus Steve Wiebe, a seemingly good natured baby face entering the high stakes world of Donkey Kong. It sounds ridiculous (and it is,) but the story itself has everything you want in a good movie. Colorful characters, deceitful action, and a look into a world many of us didn’t realize existed. There was also a whole bunch of King of Kong merchandise you could buy, including autographed limited edition shirts, trading cards, and Billy Mitchell’s own hot sauce. There was even a trading card for the referee who plays a major role in King of Kong.
You are not dreaming.
The King of Kong – A Fistful of Quarters – THE OFFICIAL GAME.
King of Kong merchandise.
So there you have it: Six Things We Lost From the Theme Park World in 2014. There were still others who did not make the list who we would like to say goodbye to, including Cat Cora’s Kouzzina restaurant on Disney’s Boardwalk and the Lost Continent carnival games in Islands of Adventure. If you’d like to pay your respects to something we missed, please leave a comment below. See you next weekend for the latest installment of the SATURDAY SIX where we continue our end-of-year shebang! If you had fun, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! articles, or, for your listening pleasure, check out the Pardon the Pixie Dust podcast.
If you enjoyed In Memoriam – Six things We Lost from the Theme Park World in 2014, you may also enjoy:
Observations from the Universal Orlando Resort (featuring Margaritaville, Red Oven, and more)
Six “Secrets” of Marvel Superhero Island
Six “Secrets” of Islands of Adventure’s Port of Entry
Six “Secrets” of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.
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. Also, we’d like to send a thank you to Attractions Magazine, our all time favorite theme park magazine. Did you know that Attractions were the first people CRAZY enough to let me write a theme park based article? It’s true, and here’s the proof!
• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print
SATURDAY SIX: In Memoriam – Six Things We Lost From the Theme Park World in 2014 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
December 5, 2014
In Case You Missed It: Disney News and Rumors – Week of December 5, 2014
In Case You Missed It!
Have you set up your Holiday decorations yet? I am so woefully behind! My tree isn’t up, but at least my house has Christmas lights on it! So, that’s a step in the right direction.
This week’s articles are Frozen heavy, because well…it’s 2014 and it’s clearly the year of Frozen. In addition, this week appears to be pretty rumor heavy…with rumors about upcoming movies, upcoming Disneyland refurbs, and upcoming Universal additions. Make sure to read on to find out more!
In Case You Missed It – Disney and Universal Orlando News and Rumors
What’s the most tagged destination on all of Instagram for 2014? Find out now!
The movie rumor of the week…is Frozen 2 in the works? According to many reports, the answer is yes. (I mean one would think it would be happening. I can’t see Disney not choosing to make a sequel off the popular franchise.)
Speaking of Frozen, it was announced this week that the upcoming short, Frozen Fever, will be playing before the live action, Cinderella. Frozen Fever follows Elsa and Kristoff as they do try to ensure that Anna has a birthday celebration to remember.
So, it’s officially been just over a year since Frozen was released. (Has it only been a year?! 
) Anyway….that would make 2014 the most Frozen year ever with tons of parodies, theories, costumes, and more! So, make sure you see “The 23 Most Frozen Things That Happened in 2014.”
Speaking of 2014 being the year of Frozen, see who made it to Time’s “15 Most Influential Fictional Characters of 2014.” (I bet you’ve already guessed.)
For those who maybe missed the ABC special “Toy Story That Time Forgot” that originally aired this week, you’ll be able to catch it again on Sunday, but on ABC Family! It airs at 8:00 p.m. EST/ 7:00 p.m. CST. (It airs again later that night at 10:30 p.m. EST.)
Well, we officially know one of the actors lending their voice to the upcoming Disney film, Moana.
I bet you didn’t know most of these Finding Nemo Easter Eggs. (Cause I didn’t!) Which one of these 12 is most interesting to you?
Wow am I late to the game on this one…but boy am I glad I found it so I can share it with you. Cartoon Brew is featuring a series called “Mouse in Translation” and features stories of Disney Feature Animation. Here’s the latest story about The Great Mouse Detective and here’s where you can begin following from the beginning.
This week appears to be rumor heavy! Check out the latest rumors, according to /Film for the upcoming Star Wars Land at Disneyland and more fun and fanciful potential options. (One of which got announced today!)
Another rumor making the rounds this week again was that Universal is in the process of building a new water park. What are your thoughts on this proposed addition?
In Case We Missed It
What did we miss? Attach your ideas to this gorgeous Mickey and Minnie Victorian Holiday Pillow and send them to blog@touringplans.com with the words “In Case You Missed It” in the subject line.
• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print
In Case You Missed It: Disney News and Rumors – Week of December 5, 2014 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Intermission Food Court Has Reopened at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
For the past few months, the Intermission Food Court at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort has been under a large scale refurbishment. The area was originally supposed to open on December 21, but surprise, it reopened a few weeks early!
The resort’s counter service location’s refurbishment is similar to what happened at the End Zone Food Court at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, with lots of clean lines, wood decor, tons of lighting, and very meticulous theming which can be found hidden throughout the eatery, including murals featuring Mickey, Minnie, and the gang. (Which are based off the new Mickey Mouse shorts currently airing on the Disney Channel. Which also means no more creepy musician murals…so that’s a major win!) Overall, it’s a nice upgrade from what was there before, aesthetically.
Now, let’s get to the food. The restaurant is still set up with different stations that are available for guests to pick and choose from. These sections include The Grill Shop (featuring a create-your-own burger option, as well as other sandwiches); the Pizza and Pasta Shop (featuring a create-your-own pasta option); the Specialty Shop (featuring a create-your own salad option, plus other random delicacies); and The Gelato Shop (featuring tons of gelato options, plus smoothies and specialty coffees). There is also the bakery section, which offers many different pastries. Finally, there is a Grab and Go area, featuring easy to pick up choices.
Guests can still pick and choose items for their family from the different sections, and then all converge together at the end to pay. Of course, the beverage stations also remain, with an updated look as well. Here guests can fill up their Rapid Fill refillable mug with relative ease.
Overall, the newly updated dining area is a beautiful sight and the upgrades were certainly well needed. I think we all are happy to say, “Welcome to 2014, Intermission Food Court.”
As kind of potential a heads up, while nothing has officially been announced, one would expect that next year, likely beginning next August through December, the World Premiere Food Court at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort will see a similar refurbishment. (This is really just me speculating, so, don’t take it as gospel until we find out next year if this will indeed be official, but I’d say the probability is highly likely.)
One thing is for sure, these new designs for the All-Star Food Courts are fantastic.
• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print
Intermission Food Court Has Reopened at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Walt Disney World Crowd Level Changes December 2014 to December 2015
Average posted wait times (in minutes) between October 1 and December 4, 2014
Wait times are up at Magic Kingdom this Fall and we are refreshing the Crowd Calendar to reflect the new trend for the rest of 2014. In fact, Fall wait times are up across all parks compared to last year. Also, we’ve completed a complete review of school schedules and holidays, park schedules and travel trends for 2015 so you will see some updates throughout future dates as well. Despite the increases this Fall our crowd level numbers have gone down for much of 2015. This is because our predictions tend to be conservative the further into the future you go. Now that 2014 is coming to an end, we can be a little more definite about our crowd projections next year.
Crowd trends are dynamic at Disney World as they are in travel generally so these new projections may (and likely will) change. Use the calendar numbers as a guideline to plan your trip and if you have a travel date in mind, click Track This Day to get notified of changes.
Below is a list of the major changes by month.
Crowd Calendar Updates By Month
Dates
Here’s What’s New
Dec 4-20
Magic Kingdom waits are up, so goes the crowd level for December. We especially noticed an increase to crowd levels on Saturdays when the park hosts extra magic hour evenings in between days with operating hours shortened by Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties. Lots of new ’5′s and ’6′s at Magic Kingdom, up from ’2′s and ’3′s. Pre-Christmas estimates at Epcot have gone up as well, look for Dec 20-21 going up by three levels to ’7′ and ’9′.
Dec 21-31
No major changes
Jan 1-14
A mix of changes to Hollywood Studios in response to some day-to-day variations we’ve noticed. Some ’9′s and ’10′s have become ’7′s and ’8′s while some other have gone up a point or two. If there is an exception to the uptrend Animal Kingdom is it. We have a streak of lowering by two or more levels between Jan 1-13 at that park.
Jan 15-31
Our post-Martin Luther King Jr Day predictions were high last year so this Jan 21-22 sees some lowering by 4 levels at Magic Kingdom, and by 3 at The Studios and Animal Kingdom. Epcot remains stable with a few minor bumps.
Feb 1-14
No major increases. Several days at The Studios and Animal Kingdom were lowered, in line with similar levels we saw last year.
Feb 15-28
Stable numbers for Presidents Week and Mardi Gras, still ’8′s and above although the good news is that post holiday numbers have dropped, likely due to the synchronization of the two holidays.
Mar 1-14
Some early March predictions have dropped at The Studios and Animal Kingdom, while Epcot and Magic Kingdom remain as is.
Mar 15-30
No major changes
Apr 1-14
Again, we’re seeing some lowering of crowd levels post-holiday. Easter week remains high at all parks but the week after is lower than before, especially at Magic Kingdom and The Studios. This follows from our collection of school holiday schedules – 98% of schools are back in session starting April 13.
Apr 15-30
Almost no changes to Magic Kingdom during this period, elsewhere some small adjustments.
May – December
Other large changes to the calendar include some July days at Epcot increasing by 2 or 3 levels; lower numbers in late August and early September; and higher numbers for Thanksgiving and Christmas 2015.
If you are planning to visit a park whose crowd level has changed we encourage you to review your touring plan if you have not already done so. Also, make sure to re-optimize your plan every so often to ensure it uses the latest estimates of wait times.
For more information of what to do if the crowd level changes for your travel dates click here.
• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print
Walt Disney World Crowd Level Changes December 2014 to December 2015 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown – Day 5: Mai Tai at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop
By Derek Burgan
The Christmas season, 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. Bonus points award for atmosphere where drink is served. And any drink with glow cubes is immediately disqualified. Ready? Let’s go!
DAY FIVE: Mai Tai at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop (Royal Pacific Resort)
Mai Tai at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop (photo by Brandon Glover)
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Universal’s Royal Pacific Resort. The hotel also has one of my favorite restaurants on UOR property, Emeril’s Tchoup Chop. The signature drink at Tchoup Chop is their 1944 Mai Tai Roa Ae. Ingredients: 3 Star Barbancourt Rum, Myers Dark Rum, Orgeat Syrup, Orange Curacao & Fresh Lime Juice. Mai Tai Roa Ae translates as “Out of this world, the best.” This authentic Polynesian Mai Tai from Tchoup Chop tastes as good as it sounds, and we recommend getting it served in the high quality tiki mug.
Another cocktail worth going out of your way to try at Tchoup Chop is the Painkiller. Ingredients: Pusser’s navy rum, cream of coconut, pressed pineapple juice, fresh orange juice, and topped with nutmeg. Tchoup Chop’s story behind the drink: The original Painkiller was created in the 1970′s at the soggy dollar bar at White Bay on the island of Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands. This is a delicious, no nonsense, non-blended, variation of the pina colada.
Painkiller at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop. (photo by Brandon Glover)
Painkiller at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop. (photo by Brandon Glover)
Both Tchoup Chop and Jake’s American Bar (also at the Royal Pacific) have good selections of beer on tap as well, including this Funky Buddah.
Funky Buddah at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop. (photo by Brandon Glover)
Come for the drinks, stay for the food as the Tchop Chop menu is incredible.
Kahlua Chicken Egg Rolls. (photo by Brandon Glover)
Kiawe-Smoked Pork Ribs. (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
See you tomorrow for the next entry into the 25 Drinks of Christmas Countdown, where we are going to head over to the Magic Kingdom resort area. 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 5: Mai Tai at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Disneyland Paris Wrap Up #Everywhere
By Brad Huber
TouringPlans #Everywhere wrapped up a month ago, but as the lucky person chosen to head to Disneyland Paris, I just returned home 2 weeks ago. (Ed. – yes, I’m late running this.) Since it was my first trip to Europe, I was able to spend 3 weeks visiting Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, London, and Dublin. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe this trip, but the two best are probably “Amazing” and “Exhausting.” It’s a weird dichotomy, in that I dont think I would ever suggest that anyone ever take a 3 week vacation to 6 cities in 5 countries, but I also can’t think of anything I would have willingly removed from our itinerary – it was such a great trip and I wouldn’t change a thing.
What I learned about Disneyland Paris – The Good
I thought Disneyland Park in Paris was beautiful. Excellently themed, with great attractions. The level of detail in this park equaled that of the Magic Kingdom in my opinion, as it felt like each land and each attraction would have fit perfectly in Orlando. The roller coasters in Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios were also the best Disney roller coasters I’ve been on. Space Mountain: Mission 2, Crush’s Coaster, and Indiana Jones were all more intense and more fun than anything at Walt Disney World. The Paris versions of Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion (called Phantom Manor) and Pirates were different enough to warrant several rides without ever feeling like you were just wasting time by re-hashing Disney World copies. There are attractions unique to Disneyland Paris’s two parks that at the very least could be considered interesting (The Alice in Wonderland Hedge Maze, a Snow White-style Pinocchio ride, The Dragon under the castle, Cinemagique), or at the very best, superior to attractions we have in Orlando (Crush’s Coaster, Ratatouille).
Outside of Pirates
And speaking of Ratatouille, the new ride in Walt Disney Studios is incredibly fun. I’ve heard it compared to Spider-Man at Universal Orlando, but I think it’s more like Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. I suppose both Spider-Man and Harry Potter are similar in that they move you through physically themed areas before depositing you in front of a 3-D screen utilizing motion simulation, but the story and level of detail in Harry Potter is far superior to Spider-Man, which is why I say Ratatouille more resembles that ride. You can tell a lot of thought and detail went into creating this ride so that it wouldn’t feel like just another motion simulator. If Pixar land ever materializes at Hollywood Studios, I really hope they bring this ride along. It’s almost not fair that the Europeans get this one all to themselves.
Also, Disney Dreams!, the night time show utilizing 3D mapped projections on the castle, is great. While in Paris, I tweeted that I thought it was great, but that I still preferred Wishes, and you would have thought I just said Disney Dreams was garbage based on the replies I got. Far from it. From a technical standpoint, Disney Dreams is probably the best nighttime show I’ve seen (granted my experience is limited to WDW and Disneyland Paris). The music, fireworks, and castle-mapping 3D projection are top notch and work perfectly together. And they also use several characters that don’t get a lot of attention in the American parks. (I just prefer Wishes by a slim margin, what’s so wrong about that?)
What I learned about Disneyland Paris – The Bad
For everything Disneyland Paris does right, it still just has this feeling like something is off. We noticed very few people were wearing anything Disney-related, including any of the little kids. And everyone smoked. All the time. Everywhere. There were even people smoking in the outdoor queue for Crush’s Coaster. You’re technically not allowed to smoke except in assigned places, but it didn’t matter. And these two things were a bit jarring. It kind of killed the Disney magic for us, because the majority of people there were treating it like some random, generic theme park. Maybe I’ve just over-sentamentalized Disney World, and how everyone there gets caught up in the Disney atmosphere.
The view of a parade from Walt’s Restaurant
Also, Walt Disney Studios is very small. Ridiculously small, even. The Toy Story themed rides like the Slinky Dog Zig Zag Spin, Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop, or the RC Racers were just standard, generic carnival rides re-themed. The Backlot Tour is somehow even worse than the one at Hollywood Studios. The Armageddon Special Effects show is super cheesy. If you thought Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios were half day parks, you obviously haven’t been to Walt Disney Studios. The only thing that might keep you there longer than half a day are the ridiculously long lines for Crush (which doesn’t even have fastpass) and Ratatouille.
And while the food isn’t terrible, it wasn’t spectacular. I would put the food on par with any in-park restaurant from Disney World, except since the average main plate costs 25-30 euros, instead of 25-30 dollars, it means the same quality of food is now 1.3 times more expensive. There is one exception though: Walt’s American Restaurant. It’s a restaurant that overlooks Main Street, which is worth the price of food alone if you can grab a seat by the window. People watching from above Main Street is great. We also managed to catch a parade from up there, too! And it was probably the best food we had in the park.
Final Verdict
Disneyland Paris is a must visit if you’re already in Paris. I wouldn’t take any trips to Europe specifically for Disneyland though. I do feel like it’s 100% worth seeing if you can spare a day or two from an existing Parisian or European vacation.
But Wait, There’s More
Speaking of that European vacation, I’ll now talk a little bit about the rest of the trip; how traveling went, favorite sites, etc. There won’t be any more Disneyland Paris talk, so if that’s all you wanted, you can bow out now.
We used a combination of trains and budget airlines to move from city to city, and neither method proved too difficult. Probably the easiest way to get around in each city we visited was to buy a multi-day public transport pass. Being able to use this on the metro, trams, buses, etc, of each city saved us tons of time worrying about tickets, or trying to find and pay for taxis. One of the bad things about visiting so many different countries is that as soon as you get used to one public transit system, you’re off to the next place which is mostly the same, but just different enough to take a day or two to get used to. In Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam we stuck mainly to the subway, and in Dublin we only used the buses (which had free wi-fi!), while in London we used a combination of the two. Coming from a city without reliable (or safe, sometimes) public transit, I have to say Europe was great in this aspect. Also, in Paris and London, we used the CityMapper app which often proved more reliable and faster in finding directions from one place to another (through walking and public transit) than Google Maps or even talking to locals.
As for the places we visited, Paris was amazing. So many historical buildings, monuments, and museums. You could spend a month there and not see everything. The Louvre and Orsay museums were breathtaking and I wanted to spend days in each one. Notre Dame cathedral was beautiful. The food was excellent, and since a glass of wine costs as much as a glass of soda, why not drink wine with every meal? And perhaps most importantly, we found a Canadian sports bar on the Seine River across from Notre Dame that was showing the weekend’s NFL games! The city was huge, but when combined with the subway it was very walkable. I suggest getting the 2 day museum pass, because not only does it give you access to tons of museums, but you get to skip the lines to get in to them. At the Louvre, our 35 minute wait was still much better than what looked like at least a 90-120 minute wait for people who needed tickets. We stayed in a hotel in Vincennes, on the outskirts of the city. It was a block from a metro stop on the M1 line, and much cheaper and larger than hotel rooms inside the city. However, in retrospect, I think I would have rather paid the money to stay inside one of the main arrondissements in Paris proper.
Brussels, by comparison, is a very small city. The only time we even needed a bus or subway was to get to the Cantillon Brewery and to visit some bookstores in the areas outside the city. Other than that, you can walk everywhere. We stayed in a guest house called the Carmelites, which was a block from the Mannekin Pis, which is in the middle of everything. The owner of the guest house was incredibly friendly and we enjoyed talking with him each morning over breakfast (which he prepared for us). As a beer nerd, Brussels was probably my favorite city on the trip. So many bars with such cheap Belgian beer that is usually so costly in the US if you can even get it. And we actually enjoyed the food more in Brussels than in Paris, and found the people much more friendly and laid back.
If we could combine the wine, architecture, and museums of Paris, with the people, food, and beer of Brussels, it would probably be the perfect city.
As for Amsterdam, I had come down with a pretty bad cold, and didnt get to see much. I made it a point to drag myself out of bed to visit the Anne Frank museum, and it was well worth it. Sadly, I had to skip out on what I heard were other excellent museums like the Van Gogh museum and the Rijksmuseum, but I spent the majority of the 2 days in bed. And again, this was a city like Paris where we stayed in a cheaper hotel outside of the city, with a metro stop a few blocks away, where I wish we had just paid more money to stay in the city itself.
London we had mixed feelings about. The city is huge. Like, ridiculously big. Bigger in size than NYC or Paris, and it certainly feels like it. The buses and subway worked exceptionally well, but the city is so huge it still felt like it took forever to get anywhere. But the museums here were incredible, and most of them were free. The National Gallery, the British Museum, and the British Library were our favorites, housing things like the original Magna Carta, the Rosetta Stone, and pieces of the Parthenon. But outside of a few buildings like the Tower of London, it feels like the city has torn down most of its past in favor of building for the future. Whereas Paris seems more likely to retrofit centuries old buildings for new purposes, it seems like London hasn’t been as sentimental. We had a lot of fun here, but to me it felt like a British version of NYC.
Dublin, was great, and was my wife’s favorite city. There is plenty of literary history here, which is my wife’s favorite type of history. We took a half day trip out to a castle, drove along the coastline, saw one of the oldest illuminated manuscripts of the Gospels at Trinity College, went to the Irish Writers Museum, saw Oscar Wilde’s house, and visited the Guinness Brewery. Not bad for two days in Dublin. Dublin doesn’t have a subway, so the buses were the only way to get around. Whereas the buses in London had signs in each bus announcing the next stop, as well as a voice telling you the next stop, buses in Dublin usually didn’t, so it’s important to know where you’re going. Google maps was decent for the most part, and there are a few apps in the iOS App Store, but nothing worked exceptionally well like CityMapper did. We still never missed any stops, but there were times where we needed to find a cafe with wifi and spend a few minutes figuring out how to get somewhere. Once you get the hang of it though, the Dublin bus system isn’t too bad.
Overall, it was a great trip. The feeling of constantly traveling wore us out pretty quickly though, and by the middle of Week #2 we were tired of it. Luckily, every place we went was so much fun, and kept us so busy, that it was easy to push aside any feelings of travel fatigue. We never had any issues with money (we carried about 50-100 euros or pounds with us at all times, but only a few places in Paris and London didnt take our credit cards). Our power converter worked great for laptops and cell phones (and comes with plug adapters for every outlet style), and the plan to use a dual voltage travel hair dryer with plug adapters was also a pretty good one, as a few hotels didnt have hair dryers in them. But there were very few language issues. Most people in Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam spoke decent English. In Paris, no one was ever rude to us for not being able to speak French, though a few times it did seem like a waiter was merely tolerating us. In Brussels, however, everyone seemed genuinely friendly and happy to serve tourists who couldn’t speak French. It was also a great experience to visit so many countries, with histories that are centuries older than our own country.
Here’s a photo dump of some cool things we saw on our trip!
• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print
Disneyland Paris Wrap Up #Everywhere is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Bob Sehlinger's Blog
- Bob Sehlinger's profile
- 30 followers
