Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1177
October 9, 2014
10 Reasons to Take a Holiday Cruise on Disney Cruise Line
It’s that time of year! Holiday sailings for the Disney Cruise Line! I just returned from a Halloween on the High Seas sailing on the Dream and we enjoyed our Thanksgiving cruise on the Disney Fantasy so much last year that weve booked another on the Disney Magic this year! The Halloween sailings for 2014 started in September and continued through the end of October. The Very Merrytime sailings start November 8th and go through the end of December. All Disney cruises are magical for me, but the holiday cruises have something a little extra. Here are 10 reasons to try one!
1. No Cooking Holiday Dinners – Oh yes. This is my favorite part. If you are onboard for one of the big holidays like Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, or Christmas – you do not have to cook!!!!!! Equally exciting – you do not have to clean, so you get to enjoy the holiday as well!!!! Win win win. We had a choice of seven entrees for our Thanksgiving dinner. And I can testify firsthand that the turkey was delicious. On our Halloween sailing, our servers even brought us an absolutely adorable cake in the shape of a spider.
2. Gorgeous Decorations – The ships are gorgeous any day of the year, but they are really done up for the holidays. For the Halloween sailings, there are four different Halloween trees decorated with pumpkins. Actually, they usually start off with just leaves and by the end of your sailing it’s covered in pumpkins. And don’t miss the portholes on deck 4, they have adorable Jack-o-lantern faces. During the Very Merrytime sailings, there will be Christmas trees everywhere! In the restaurants, in the atrium, in the terminal, even on Castaway Cay! There is also a giant gingerbread house in the lobby which they start constructing in early November and finish around the last week of November.
3. Build Gingerbread Houses and Carve Pumpkins – How about the quintessential Halloween activity – Pumpkin carving! Unfortunately, pumpkins aren’t available on every cruise (they weren’t on ours), so you can’t count on this one, but how fun does that sound? In addition to the giant gingerbread house being constructed in the atrium, guests onboard the Merrytime sailings will also have the chance to construct their own gingerbread house! Last year, guests requested tickets at guest services and were given a time to attend the class. We had a great time building, and decorating our gingerbread houses. Even those in our group who were, ahem, less successful in their building still had a great time. And, we unexpectedly enjoyed eating the remnants of our gingerbread house for days to come. You’ll find some other craft and holiday themed activities throughout the cruise as well!
4. Special Parties – All of the holiday sailings also include some extra parties! Mickey’s Mouse-querade Party involves games, trick or treating, characters, and dancing. We had a great time watching the activities and the costumes. My word, people are creative. There’s also a special “Sing and Scream” viewing of The Nightmare Before Christmas followed by a meet and greet with Jack and Sally. On the Merrytime cruises there is a Deck the Deck Tropical Holiday Party which also includes games and dancing, but with a Christmas theme this time. There are also special teen and tween only parties!
5. Special Activities on Christmas Eve and Day – On the actual holidays, you will find some additional activities like religious services, holiday-themed towel animals and Christmas caroling. If you are lucky enough to be onboard on the actual day, scour that Personal Navigator so you don’t miss any of the fun!
6. Adult Costume Contest – On the Halloween cruises there is a costume contest – but just for adults! There are five categories – Funniest, Most Spooky, Best Group, Most Original, and Most Disney, and trophies to be won in each. There were a ton of participants on our cruise. The crew chose which category each was entered in and they certainly tried to even out the categories, sometimes with some iffy choices. I’m not sure how Mrs. Banks and friends weren’t in the Most Disney category. One of them was Walt Disney for Pete’s Sake! How is Walt Disney not in the Most Disney category? But I digress. And this has nothing to do with sour grapes because my adorable little M&M group did not win. We were robbed thrilled to be nominated.
7. Tree-Lighting Ceremonies – Those Pumpkin and Christmas trees aren’t going to light themselves! So of course they are both lit during elaborate ceremonies involving storytelling, and calling to the trees to light! And barring any technical difficulties, they do!
8. Character Captures – For any characters stalkers out there, these cruises are a chance to see the characters in some great costumes. On the Halloween sailings, all of the characters were in spectacular costumes during the Halloween party. There was a meet and greet with all of them earlier in the day. Goofy was in a King Tut costume I have never seen before. It was amazing! On the Thanksgiving cruise we had pictures with Pilgrim Mickey and Santa Goofy. And what Merrytime cruise would be complete without a chance to talk to Santa? Not Santa Goofy, Santa Claus!! We know him!! Santa Claus is kind enough to take time out of his very busy schedule to stop by the Disney cruise ships during these sailings. He’s so cool.
9. Holiday Merchandise – Never one to pass up merchandising opportunities, there are pins, Tervis Tumblers, t-shirts, frames, photo albums, all sorts of things! If you’re looking for a Disney holiday souvenir this is your place. If do not want it to be Disney themed, you are definitely looking in the wrong place.
10. There Are Some Deals – If you are worried about prices, yes, the cruises on actual holidays can be priced very high. The good news is there are several cruises still included in the holiday sailings time frame, that are not during school breaks and thus much more reasonably priced. The Halloween holiday sailings in September were some of the least expensive cruises in 2014. And if the actual holidays are your only option, don’t despair! There are already some last minute IGT, VGT and OGT rates for Thanksgiving cruises on the Magic, Wonder, and even the Fantasy, and if you are military, the prices are even better. Check them out!
Have you tried a holiday sailing? What was your favorite part?
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10 Reasons to Take a Holiday Cruise on Disney Cruise Line is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
October 8, 2014
Disneyland Resort Crowd Report – September 28 to October 4, 2014
Late September usually brings crowds that are slightly busier than early September but still manageable and our predictions held true again this year. We also are seeing a continuation of the trend that weekends are busier than weekdays at Disneyland Resort.
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
4
5
Sunday’s crowd level ’5′ was one level higher than predicted but mainly because of a couple attractions that had significant waits. Big Thunder Mountain averaged a posted time of 27 minutes (predicted 16) and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage averaged 42 (predicted 22) while most others were within a few minutes of predicted.
Disney California Adventure
4
4
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
3
4
On Monday, slightly higher than expected waits again but not significantly so. Radiator Springs came in at 53 minutes which was actually lower than the 64 we predicted.
Disney California Adventure
2
3
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
3
3
Lowest crowd of the week at Disneyland Park on Tuesday and Wednesday, with average waits like 11 minutes at Big Thunder, 20 at Indiana Jones and 14 at the Matterhorn.
Disney California Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
3
3
Wednesday brought the same crowd index on our scale that we saw the day before. Even Disney California Adventure’s Early Entry morning was not enough to push average wait times above 15 minutes for most attractions. Only Toy Story Midway Mania (24 minutes) and Radiator Springs Racers (50) saw significant waits.
Disney California Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
3
4
A slight bump in crowd levels at Disneyland Park on Thursday although only Splash Mountain saw an average wait time above 40 minutes (41, predicted 24). Small World was only 6 (predicted 8) and Buzz Lightyear 5 (predicted 6).
Disney California Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
4
3
The slow start to October crowds continued on Friday with wait times reaching a level ’3′ at both parks. Indiana Jones wait times came in low (22, predicted 34) while Alice in Wonderland was high (30, predicted 22).
Disney California Adventure
3
3
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
6
6
As predicted, Disneyland crowds jumped up a couple points to a level ’6′ on Saturday. But, Disney California Adventure’s crowds came in lower than expected by a couple points.
Disney California Adventure
5
3
What to Expect This Week
August 31 to September 6, 2014
How Crowded is Disneyland Resort?
Late September and early October crowds are somewhat busier than earlier September and we expect that trend to continue this year. In fact, crowds should slowly increase right up until the peak Thanksgiving season in November.
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.
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Disneyland Resort Crowd Report – September 28 to October 4, 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 – September 28 to October 4, 2014
{You won’t see much of a blue line on our “What we predicted” vs. “What we saw” chart because we predicted every day correctly except Saturday. The blue line is hidden behind the red.}
Low wait times across both Universal Parks last week including a full week of level ’2′ or lower at Islands of Adventure. Halloween Horror Nights kept The Studios busy in the evenings but during the day we never saw wait times higher than 20 or 30 minutes for most attractions. On our scale neither park reached a level above ’3′.
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
3
Halloween Horror nights at Universal Studios do not have the same affect on crowds that we see at Magic Kingdom’s Not-So-Scary Halloween parties. Crowds during the day at The Studios were a ’3′ on Sunday despite that park hosting a Halloween Horror Night.
Islands of Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
3
3
Same crowds on Monday that we saw on Sunday including average posted times like 15 minutes at Disaster! and 17 minutes at Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (predicted 26).
Islands of Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
3
3
Another day of ’3′ and ’2′ at Universal Resort on Tuesday with below average crowds at both parks. We saw a 19 minute average posted time at Rip Ride Rockit and a 21 minute wait (predicted 26) at Spider-Man.
Islands of Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
3
3
Our predictions did remarkably well on Wednesday at the Studios with no prediction missing by more than a few minutes. Wait times at Islands of Adventure came in about as expected as well including another 21 minute average wait at Spider-Man.
Islands of Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
3
3
Nothing new on Thursday with both parks having low crowds and manageable wait times at all attractions.
Islands of Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
2
3
Friday was the last of a string of days with the Studios at a level ’3′ and Islands of Adventure at a level ’2′. The only surprises on Friday were the low average of 9 minutes at Rip Ride Rockit and 9 minutes at Flight of the Hippogriff.
Islands of Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
4
3
We usually expect to see wait times slide higher on weekends in the Fall but Islands of Adventure saw really low waits across the park last Saturday. Forbidden Journey and Spider-Man were only 21 minutes (predicted 45 and 34, respectively).
Islands of Adventure
4
1
What to Expect This Week
August 31 to September 6, 2014
How Crowded is Universal Orlando Resort
Low crowds are likely to continue through the remainder of the fall, or at least until we reach the peak of Thanksgiving 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.
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Universal Orlando Resort Crowd Report – September 28 to October 4, 2014 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Disney World Crowd Report – September 28 to October 4, 2014
Last week was a great week for low crowds across Walt Disney World, especially Monday through Friday. Magic Kingdom Crowds stayed relatively low and were particularly low on days when that park hosted an evening Halloween Party.
Let’s look at how the crowd levels stacked up each day last week:
Walt Disney World Resort Crowd Levels – Daily Breakdown
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
1
1
Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom stayed within expected ranges on Sunday but wait times were high at Epcot and The Studios, led by Mission: Space – Green (10 minutes, predicted 5) and Toy Story Mania (81, predicted 58).
Epcot
2
4
Hollywood Studios
2
6
Animal Kingdom
2
3
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
4
3
Monday’s wait times returned to normal at all four parks with our predictions doing well across the resort. Despite being the day after Sunday night’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, crowds at the Magic Kingdom stayed at a level ’3′, one lower than predicted.
Epcot
3
2
Hollywood Studios
3
2
Animal Kingdom
2
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
3
3
Fittingly, Tuesday, the last day of September, brought low crowds across all four parks. Only Magic Kingdom managed to reach a level above ’2′ on our scale.
Epcot
3
2
Hollywood Studios
1
2
Animal Kingdom
2
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
3
1
Magic Kingdom did not host a Halloween party on Wednesday but crowds were very low none-the-less. Across the resort, Wednesday’s wait times were the lowest of the week. 18 minutes at Splash Mountain, 47 at Soarin’, 23 at Tower of Terror, and 7 minutes at Expedition Everest. In fact, all attractions at Animal Kingdom were walk-ons most of the day.
Epcot
4
2
Hollywood Studios
3
2
Animal Kingdom
2
1
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
3
2
Another Thursday and another great day for the Studios. Star Tours only managed an average posted time of 11 minutes while Toy Story Mania reached 50 minutes, as low as possible on our scale.
Epcot
5
2
Hollywood Studios
4
1
Animal Kingdom
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
2
1
Another Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom on Friday brought low crowds throughout the day. In fact, for the third day on a row no park reached a crowd level higher than ’2′.
Epcot
4
2
Hollywood Studios
4
2
Animal Kingdom
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
5
5
Other than Sunday, The Studios wait times were very low all week and the theme continued on Saturday with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster averaging a posted time of 40 minutes (a ’2′ out of ’10′).
Epcot
3
3
Hollywood Studios
5
2
Animal Kingdom
5
4
What to Expect This Week
October 5 to 11, 2014
How Crowded is Walt Disney World?
Crowds will pick up this week, sometimes significantly so as many school districts see their first fall mini-breaks. The approaching Halloween season, Food & Wine at Epcot and new Fastpass+ only experiments will affect wait times across the resort as well.
To see Walt Disney World 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.
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Disney World Crowd Report – September 28 to October 4, 2014 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Limited Time Offer – Onboard Credit for DCL Wonder and Fantasy 7-Night Cruises
Mt. Rustmore at Castaway Cay. Photo – Laurel Stewart
Yet another discount to pass on today. This one is for a $100 onboard credit on certain 7-night cruises sailing from Port Canaveral on the Disney Wonder and Fantasy. Because this offer is sponsored by an industry group (CLIA – Cruise Lines International Association), we recommend that DCL subscribers check our Fare Tracker to see if the cost of the cruise is going up or down and ask your travel agent if the onboard credit is the best possible deal you can get. This offer is for new bookings only and the booking window is now through October 13.
Information comes via Small World Vacations:
Disney Cruise Line – CLIA’s WLCS (World’s Largest Cruise Sale Offer)
Receive $100 onboard credit per stateroom on select 7-Night Caribbean Cruises aboard Disney Magic or Disney Fantasy departing January 3 – March 29, 2015 from Port Canaveral, Florida.
Booking Window:
Valid for new bookings made October 6 – 13, 2014
Travel Window:
7-Night Western Caribbean Cruises departing January 4 – March 29, 2015 aboard Disney Magic
7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruises departing January 3 – March 28, 2015 aboard Disney FantasyImportant Details:
Travel agency must be a CLIA member agency to book this offer. Must mention booking code WLCS at time of booking. Valid for new bookings only made October 6 – 13, 2014. Not combinable with other offers or discounts. One onboard credit per stateroom. Onboard credit is non-refundable and non-transferable. Changes to the vacation date or category may result in a loss of any offer. Offer is subject to availability. Visit Disney Cruise Line website for cruise details and applicable Terms and Conditions.
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Limited Time Offer – Onboard Credit for DCL Wonder and Fantasy 7-Night Cruises is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Disney Visa Discounts Available for Disneyland through Mid-December
©Disney and Chase
It’s a good time to be a Disney Visa cardholder (Ed. – note to self, we should probably do an article on the Disney Visa and its pros and cons one day). Since releasing discounts for Walt Disney World for cardholders, Disney has today released discounts for Disneyland in California for travel weekdays (no Fridays or Saturdays) from the end of October through December 18 (the Thursday before Christmas). So if you’d like to travel to catch Halloween or some truly spectacular Christmas theming, book by December 18 by calling Disney or contacting your travel agent.
As always, thanks to Sue Pisaturo at Small World Vacations for passing on the info about this Disneyland discount.
Offer details are at http://disneyrewards.com/offers/dlrroomq1/ and are as follows:
Discover the secret to a more magical vacation with this special offer.
Get the royal treatment on your next visit to Disneyland® Resort! As a Disney Visa®Cardmember, you can save 20% on most rooms at any Disneyland® Resort Hotel most Sunday through Thursday nights from 10/26–12/18/2014 (subject to availability). Book by 12/18/2014.
Call 866-275-1417 and use your Disney Visa® Card and mention code VIS.
Plus, ask about special rates on vacation packages.
Book now and treat your little princes and princesses to even more Disney magic at Disneyland® Resort including:
Take advantage of an Extra Magic Hour—As a guest of a Disneyland® Resort Hotel, you’ll get a head start on the enchantment with early admission to the Theme Parks one full hour before they open to the general public.
Experience the magic of Disneyland® Theme Park attractions—Meet real Disney Princesses in person at Fantasy Faire, or go on an epic journey of imagination with Mickey and the Magical Map and be dazzled by fireworks lighting up the night sky.
Explore Disney California Adventure® Park—Enjoy high-octane attractions at Cars Land, dive into fun at The Little Mermaid~Ariel’s Undersea Adventure and take to the skies and go Soarin’ Over California!And that’s just the beginning. There’s more to do and see at the Disneyland® Resort than ever before.
Book now and start planning your fairytale vacation!
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Disney Visa Discounts Available for Disneyland through Mid-December is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Observations from Halloween Horror Nights and Updated HHN24 Touring Plans
Plan your Nights of Horror with our updated HHN24 touring plans (photos by Seth Kubersky).
Halloween in still three weeks away, but Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 24 is well underway, and as always the event — and therefore our HHN24 touring plan — is ever evolving. After experiencing the rain-soaked chaos of opening night, I returned on a precipitation-free Thursday without the benefit of an RIP guided tour or Express Passes.
The good news is that I was able to experience all 8 haunted houses, and both shows, before the evening ended even without those extra-cost line-cutting perks, but it wan’t easy. To update my previously published Halloween Horror Nights Survival Guide, here’s a summary of my recent observations, followed by an improved edition of my HHN24 touring plans to plot your escape from the evil of overstuffed queues.
HHN24 Observations for Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014
If you want to be inside Universal Studios Florida for Horror Nights early entry, you should enter the park (using a valid regular ticket or annual pass) well before its 5:00 p.m. daytime closing; I recommend arriving no later than 4:30 p.m.
There is no special Stay & Scream ticket offered this year, but guests with park-to-park admission may ride the Hogwarts Express between USF and Hogsmeade when IoA is open later. Exact operating hours vary with closing time, but during my visit guests could continue to enjoy Diagon Alley until 6 p.m., as long as they received a wristband indicating park-to-park access.
Unfortnately, while HHN guests in Diagon are led into a holding area outside the London Waterfront as early as 5:15 p.m., they aren’t released to the haunted houses until well after the New York and Kidzone groups, making it a poor choice for maximizing your HHN efficiency.
Guests in KidZone were the first to be released into a haunted house, at around 5:50 p.m. However, the house they have first access to is Roanoke, which has some of the shortest lines during the rest of the evening. They also get a head start at around 6 p.m. on Dollhouse of the Damned, which developes moderly long waits later on. Finally, KidZone guests can can be first to pre-load in the Halloween queue before its 6:30 p.m. opening.
There is also a holding area on Hollywood outside the Lucy museum, but guests there don’t get released until the front gates open, negating any early entry advantage. You can’t even see much of the brief Purge-themed pre-opening ceremony from there.
I selected the New York holding area on Delancey St., whose line consumes a portion of Transformers’ extended queue. The line to enter Finnegan’s Bar spilled out into the street, so it’s a good thing I brought a snack with me from Springfield.
At 5:58 p.m., we were released from in front of Finnegan’s to the Alien vs Predator house, which was the first one to open. Due to some “technical difficulties,” the house didn’t actually begin accepting guests until 6:12 p.m. I was out the door by 6:18 p.m., by which time its line was posted at 45 minutes.
Neither Dracula Untold nor The Walking Dead open until 6:30 p.m., at which point the former posted a 10 minute wait, with the later already over an hour. From Dusk Til Dawn was operating before 6:30 p.m., also with a 10 minute posted wait.
When official opening time arrived, Dollhouse of the Damned and Roanoke were both 10 minutes; Dollhouse’s line grew substantially, but Roanoke’s remained relatively low.
When the line was short early in the evening, operations was “pulsing” small groups of guests through Dollhouse instead of a stead conga line. It made HHN’s creepiest haunt in years even freakier!
Within 10 minutes of the event officially opening, the wait for Halloween was posted at 45 minutes, and actually took 40. Ideally you should experience this house after dark, because of the excellent projection mapping effects used outside the entrance, but by sunset the line was 60 minutes or more.
This year’s Bill & Ted show continued to impress me as the funniest in several years. If you attend the first Bill & Ted performance of the night, you can slip in right at (or even a few minutes after) showtime, since there are usually empty seats in the rear; be warned that you will miss the painfully hillarious preshow video. Later in the night shows sell out at least 15 minutes in advance.
Between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. wait times approach their peaks. On this “off-peak” night, maximums were 90 minutes for Halloween and The Walking Dead; 60 for AvP, Dracula Untold, and Giggles & Gore; 45 for Dollhouse of the Damned, and From Dusk Til Dawn; and 30 for Roanoke. Actual wait times averaged about 5 minutes shorter than posted, with Express Pass return queues reported to average about 25% of standby waits.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Tribute has a great cast this year, but most guests just don’t seem to know what to make of the audience participation, and many begin to flee around the “Touch-a Touch-a” number. I was also disappointed that they cut Science Fiction Double Feature Reprise, which had a lovely vocal arrangement. Even though I’m a long-time fan of the property, I wouldn’t be surprised or disappointed to see a different show in the Beetlejuice Graveyard stage next year.
Be sure to spend some time exploring the scarezones, especially The Purge in New York which features regular “victim auctions” atop the school bus outside Macy’s.
The Face Off and MASKerade zones aren’t too scary, but are packed with gorgeous photo-ops.
The Bayou of Blood’s stage is somewhat static now that the sacrifice shows have been scrapped, but you should still say hello to the spooky Voodo Queen.
Queue entertainment is disappointingly lacking this year. The only house with a preshow worth mentioning is Halloween, with Giggles’ slideshow and Walking Dead’s trivia adding nothing to the storytelling. While waiting 35 minutes for the meh Dracula maze, I wondered why clips from the new film weren’t screening on the giant soundstage walls we were standing outside.
Posted wait time may be grossly overestimated in the event’s final hour. Giggles & Gore’s wait was posted at 30 minutes when I queued up at 11:30 p.m., but the actual wait was only 15. Better yet, Walking Dead was posted 60 minutes at 10 to midnight, but I actually waited only 20. Best of all, the scareactors didn’t seem to be slacking of in the least, even if their long shifts were nearly over.
Updated HHN24 Touring Plans
Overall, I accomplished everything I wanted to in one night without Express, but it gets harder every year. I’ve heard that, thanks to heavy “off-peak” discounts, Saturday nights have been more managable than the “slow” night this year. If you’re going to tackle HHN without extra-cost assistance (and even if you are going with Express) you’ll want to study these revised HHN24 touring plans.
Early Entry Option A (KidZone):
Enter the park no later than 4:45 p.m. using a valid daytime ticket.
Proceed to the KidZone area, where you will show your HHN ticket and receive a wristband.
Wait in the shaded area outside Animal Actors until allowed to queue for Roanoke: Cannibal Colony.
If Roanoke: Cannibal Colony begins operating first, enter it when it opens.
The Roanoke exit leads directly to the entrance of Dollhouse of the Damned.
After Dollhouse, if Halloween is not yet open, cross the park to Alien vs Predator (enter near the Twister facade).
Return to the other side of the park, where Halloween’s entrance can be found next to MIB Gear.
Check your map for the first showtime of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure, and arrive at the Fear Factor Live stadium 10 minutes prior.
After Bill & Ted, walk past the London Waterfront to Giggles & Gore, Inc.
Exit to your right and continue to the New York area. Experience Dracula Untold, followed by From Dusk Til Dawn if their waits are 45 minutes or less.
Check your map for the next showtime of The Rocky Horror Picture Show Tribute, and arrive at the Beetlejuice stage 10 to 20 minutes prior.
Before or after the show, ride Transformers, Revenge of the Mummy, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, or MEN IN BLACK: Alien Attack using the Single Rider line.
Walk around the park clockwise, exploring the scarezones. Start by walking through the Bayou of Blood to Hollywood, then through Face Off towards the park entrance. Turn right into MASKerade, then end with The Purge in New York (watch for victim auctions).
Consider taking a break from the park in CityWalk, especially if the park is open past midnight. Hold onto your ticket and have your hand stamped at the gate.
Return to the park 90 minutes before closing to experience The Walking Dead and any other houses you missed or want to see again. Wait times drop dramatically in the last hour, and you can join the queue for a haunted house right up until closing time.
To avoid a traffic jam, leave the park 30 minutes before closing, or wait to be one of the last to exit.
Early Entry Option B (Finnegan’s):
Enter the park no later than 4:45 p.m. using a valid daytime ticket.
Proceed to the New York area across from the Transformers ride, where you will show your HHN ticket and receive a wristband.
Wait outside or inside Finnegan’s Bar and Restaurant (reservations are usually fully booked for the event).
When released from the holding area at approximately 5:45 p.m., head directly to Alien vs Predator (enter near the Twister facade)
Cross through the Production Central area past Mel’s Drive-In, and shortcut through the Garden of Allah to KidZone.
Skip Roanoke: Cannibal Colony for now, and experience Dollhouse of the Damned.
After Dollhouse, Halloween’s entrance can be found next to MIB Gear.
Check your map for the first showtime of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure, and arrive at the Fear Factor Live stadium 10 minutes prior.
After Bill & Ted, walk past the London Waterfront to Giggles & Gore, Inc.
Return to the New York area. Experience Dracula Untold followed by From Dusk Til Dawn if their waits are 45 minutes or less.
Check your map for the next showtime of The Rocky Horror Picture Show Tribute, and arrive at the Beetlejuice stage 10 to 20 minutes prior.
Before or after the show, ride Transformers, Revenge of the Mummy, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, or MEN IN BLACK: Alien Attack using the Single Rider line.
Return to Kidzone and experience Roanoke: Cannibal Colony, which should have a reasonable wait when everything else is overwhelmed.
Walk around the park clockwise, exploring the scarezones. Start by walking through the Bayou of Blood to Hollywood, then through Face Off towards the park entrance. Turn right into MASKerade, then end with The Purge in New York (watch for victim auctions).
Consider taking a break from the park in CityWalk, especially if the park is open past midnight. Hold onto your ticket and have your hand stamped at the gate.
Return to the park 90 minutes before closing to experience The Walking Dead and any other houses you missed or want to see again. Wait times drop dramatically in the last hour, and you can join the queue for a haunted house right up until closing time.
To avoid a traffic jam, leave the park 30 minutes before closing, or wait to be one of the last to exit.
General Admission:
Park and arrive at Universal with ticket in hand no later than 5:30 p.m., and pass through the security checkpoint (using the “no bags” line to the left if possible).
Line up as close as possible to any turnstile (including the temporary ones at the center gate) and watch the pre-opening skit on the balcony above the ticket booths at approximately 6:15 p.m.
When the gates open, head straight past From Dusk Til Dawn and Walking Dead to enter Alien vs Predator.
After exiting AvP, walk past Mel’s Drive-In, and shortcut through the Garden of Allah to KidZone.
Skip Roanoke: Cannibal Colony for now and experience Dollhouse of the Damned.
After Dollhouse, Halloween’s entrance can be found next to MIB Gear.
Check your map for the first showtime of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure, and arrive at the Fear Factor Live stadium 10 minutes prior.
After Bill & Ted, walk past the London Waterfront to Giggles & Gore, Inc.
Exit to your right and continue to the New York area. Experience Dracula Untold and/or From Dusk Til Dawn if their waits are 45 minutes or less.
Check your map for the next showtime of The Rocky Horror Picture Show Tribute, and arrive at the Beetlejuice stage 10 to 20 minutes prior.
Before or after the show, ride Transformers, Revenge of the Mummy, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, or MEN IN BLACK: Alien Attack using the Single Rider line.
Return to Kidzone and experience Roanoke: Cannibal Colony, which should have a reasonable wait when everything else is overwhelmed.
Walk around the park clockwise, exploring the scarezones. Start by walking through the Bayou of Blood to Hollywood, then through Face Off towards the park entrance. Turn right into MASKerade, then end with The Purge in New York (watch for victim auctions).
Consider taking a break from the park in CityWalk, especially if the park is open past midnight. Hold onto your ticket and have your hand stamped at the gate.
Return to the park 90 minutes before closing to experience The Walking Dead and any other houses you missed or want to see again. Wait times drop dramatically in the last hour, and you can join the queue for a haunted house right up until closing time.
To avoid a traffic jam, leave the park 30 minutes before closing, or wait to be one of the last to exit.
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Observations from Halloween Horror Nights and Updated HHN24 Touring Plans is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Be Our Guest Restaurant Lunch Currently FastPass+ Only
Looks like currently the Stand-by Entrance is no more.
If you not staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel and want to dine at the Magic Kingdom’s Be Our Guest Restaurant for lunch, it appears that you are out of luck for the time being. The extremely popular New Fantasyland restaurant is currently only seating guests who have made a FastPass+ reservation during lunch hours, when the restaurant functions as a counter service location. These reservations are only available to guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel. Walk-ups will not be allowed for the restaurant until further notice, with no end date in sight.
Previously Disney tested handing out paper “return tickets” to standby guests. This test left many guests out of luck, as tickets were often snatched up quickly first thing in the morning.
Be Our Guest Restaurant is still a table service location at dinner and absolutely requires guests to make Advanced Dining Reservations in order to dine during the evening hours.
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Beating the Post Disney Blues – Part 2
By KimT
You planned what to do before your trip – how to tell the kids, what to pack, book the flight, or chart the roadmap course. You definitely planned what to do during your trip – where to stay, what to visit, where and what to eat. Did you plan what to do after the trip? After vacationing at the happiest place on earth, it is hard to come back to reality when your vacation is finished. To make your return home a little less “blue”, you may want to organize a plan for your return home from your trip.
Jedi Training Certificate
1) Plan time with friends: Before you leave for vacation, make plans within the first week or two of your return with someone fun. That’s what friends are for – to lift your spirits. Our kids usually miss their friends by the time we get back, so we invite a whole family over. If you know someone else who is planning a trip to Disney, even better. You can share all of your tips while they are still fresh in your mind.
2) Frame the souvenir: Did you pick up any certificates or autographs while in the park? Frame it with a photo of the event happening. My son trained as a Jedi and fought Darth Vader. Now he has the certificate and photo to prove it.
3) Clean: Clean your house before you leave. I think I heard a simultaneous groan from everyone who read this tip, but I got this tip from my Mom, so it must be good motherly advice. I know cleaning is the last thing you want to do while you are packing and trying to get to bed early so you can have a fresh start on departure day. You do not need to clean the day before you leave, but maybe within the week before you leave. As my Mom always says, it feels so much nicer to come home to a clean house rather than a messy one.
4) Listen to Music from the Parks: Listen to music from attractions at the parks. You can close your eyes and almost image you are there riding the Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney sells music from both Disneyland and Disney World resorts. Although some songs overlap both albums. You may find more about these albums at New Official Music Albums Releasing at Disney Parks
5) Keep Walking: How many miles did you walk while you were at Disneyland or Disney World? Without even knowing it, you started a training program. Keep it up. As an added bonus, walking can lift your mood.
6) Spread Good Fortune: Give your time or a donation to a charity. More specifically, make a gift to Give Kids the World (GKTW). GKTW is a non-profit organization that gives children with life-threatening illnesses (and their families) a cost-free visit to the Central Florida attractions. GKTW is highly ranked on Charity Navigator, siting it as a highly reputable charity. They also accept volunteers to assist them in achieving their goals.
7) Write about it: On the return trip, write about your favorite moments of the trip. Have the kids create a top ten list of their favorite moments. If they are not old enough to write, they can draw pictures of their favorite moments.
8) Scrapbook it: Did you get any free souvenirs, like maps, special event pamphlets, confetti, celebration pins, stickers, or Kidcot crafts? If they are flat, you can arrange them onto a placemat sized paper and have them laminated. This may not match your fine china, but it goes pretty well under a bowl of cereal. For bulkier items, purchase a shadow box at a craft store and arrange the items inside for display.
9) Purchase a souvenir to use every day:
Brush your teeth with Disney
While at Disney, pick up something that you can use every day once you return home. Each night my kids brush their teeth with their plastic Disney cups from the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop. When I need a break at work, I love glancing down at my Disney mug and thinking about my favorite moments of our trip. For more ideas, please read Incorporating Disney into Everyday Life by Angela Dahlgren, fellow blogger.
10) Postcards: Send postcards to friends, family, and yourself! Sometimes I like to see who gets home first – the postcard or me. Postage is available at the parks in various gift shops, but only at certain locations, so it may be easiest to take stamps with you. In the age of email and Facebook messages, it is a delight to receive handwritten correspondence in the “snail mail”.
For more ideas, be sure to visit the original, Beating the Post Disney Blues, by fellow blogger, Daisy Lauren.
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Beating the Post Disney Blues – Part 2 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Observations from Disney’s Hollywood Studios Toy Story Midway Mania FastPass+ Only Testing
This week’s Toy Story Midway Mania FastPass+ Only testing means you may sees this sign at DHS.
If you want to toss some virtual rings this week at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’d better head to My Disney Experience right now, because for the first time Walt Disney World is experimenting with eliminating all standby options at this headlining attraction. As Rickki Nibblet reported, a Toy Story Midway Mania FastPass+ Only test means that from October 6-9, 2014, you must have a FastPass+ reservation — booked in advance online or day-of at an in-park kiosk — in order to ride the popular Pixar-themed shooting gallery. The standard standby line will not be available at all during the testing period, and once all FastPass+ reservations are claimed for the day, you will not have the option of waiting in line the old-fashioned way.
Having previously experienced Epcot’s short-lived experiment with using paper FastPasses for the Soarin’ standby line, I wanted to see how this FastPass+ Only test operated at Toy Story Midway Mania (TSMM). Monday, Oct. 6, was a moderate 5 on our Crowd Calendar, but now that the Studio Backlot Tour is closed, TSMM is (along with The Great Movie Ride) the only all-ages ride in the park. Since guests seem willing to wait an hour or more in standby for TSMM even on off-peak days, I was curious to observe their reaction to this temoprary change.
The Studio Backlot Tour is now a backdrop for hula hooping.
As an annual passholder, I was able to log into My Disney Experience around 10 a.m. and secure a FastPass+ for Toy Story Midway Mania at 12:55 that day; 6 p.m. was also offered, but there were no other timeslot options. Previously, I have had difficulty booking TSMM for early afternoon on such short notice, so it appears Disney has added some additional FastPass+ availability during this test.
However, by the time I arrived at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at noon, signs were posted near the entrance declaring that “Toy Story Midway Mania has reached capacity for the day.”
Identical signage was posted outside Pixar Place, along with an unusually large number of Cast Members on hand to answer questions about the FastPass+ Only test, and assist with making FastPass+ reservations.
Even though all the FastPass+ windows were officially consumed for the day, Cast Members indicated that, due to cancellations, availability may still occasionally (and unpredicatably) open up. However, there was no regular release of “held back” timeslots in the afternoon, as has been used in earlier FastPass+ tests at Princess Fairytale Hall. If you are denied a Toy Story FP+ at first, try selecting a different Tier 1 attraction, and keep checking back to see if you can convert it to Midway Mania.
Outside the attraction, the standby entrance was roped off, and a Cast Member was organizing a queue of waiting FP+ guests.
There was no holdup due to MagicBand scanning when I visited; these folks were just waiting for their time window to arrive.
Once inside, TSMM’s elaborate queue was eerily quiet. They were alternating sending guests through the standby and FP+ queues, so I got a private audience with Mr. Potato Head.
The stairwells leading to the loading station were also unusually empty, and there were only at most a couple carloads of guests waiting to board.
As I waited, I watched the line dwindle to the point that they sent some empty vehicles, which a Cast Member confided they had had to do periodically throughout the day.
After my ride (I was awful as always, barely earning my stuffed beaver and sore elbow) I lurked around the exit and calculated the number of riders TSMM was serving at approximately 1150 guests per hour. While Disney doesn’t release official numbers, the ride’s maximum theoretical hourly rider capacity (THRC) is approximately 1500 guests, but an average day’s operations come closer to 1300.
Yes, I’m really terrible at this ride…
The reduced capacity resulted in fantastic experience for those able to secure FastPass+, as I heard guests remark that they were in and out of the building in under 10 minutes — ride time included. That’s an improvement on the normal system with Standby, when the FastPass+ queue can exceed 15 minutes.
On the flip side, I observed a number of guests who were confused, upset, or just pain angry over the Toy Story Midway Mania FastPass+ Only test. A couple who shared my ride vehicle had tried unsuccessfully to get a FP+ through conventional means, and their appeal to Guest Services was denied. It was only after they complained loudly to their bartender at the Brown Derby that a Cast Member was “magically” able to make a reservation appear.
Over at Guest Relations, I saw about a dozen guests waiting, and overheard several say they were there to complain about the TSMM test. One was quite agitated, and claimed that the test had “ruined” her children’s visit. Interestingly, while I heard Guest Relations CMs ask what they could do for the guest in compensation, at no time did I observe them offering to cicumvent the test by granting a FP+.
Another controversial aspect of this test is that it applies equally to guests using Disability Access Service (DAS) passes, which ordinarily allow users into the FP+ queue immediately if standby is under 10 minutes, or at an assigned time if longer. During this test, DAS users must use one of their regular FP+ assignments for TSMM just like all other guests, and get no expedited entrance at Toy Story Midway Mania. As long as the No Standby test is in effect, once all FP+ windows are taken, DAS guests are just a out of luck as everyone else.
After seeing the Toy Story Midway Mania FastPass+ Only test first-hand, I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it was undeniably luxurious to stroll casually through the TSMM queue, step into a car vitually unimpeded, and be back outside again in a matter of minutes. On the other hand, seeing the wasted capacity on a popular attraction, and the unhappy people outside being told they had no other options, goes against my guest service instincts.
If I had to guess, this test is not a precursor to Disney permanently making this popular attraction FastPass+ only — though the upcoming conversion of Maelstrom to Frozen could conceivably be a candidate for that. Instead, I surmise Disney may be experimenting in advance of adding a third track to TSMM. The new track would go in Soundstage 1 (where Wandering Oaken’s recently was) to the left of the current standby queue. Standby guests could conceivably all be diverted to the new track, while FastPass+ gets exclusivity on the original two tracks, as was tested this week. Currently, FP+ reportedly consumes 66% of the ride’s capacity, so this scheme would keep the ratio the same while increasing throughput for both types of guests.
This test is scheduled to end after Oct. 9, but could return in a different form. If you had a chance to try it for yourself, please leave your thoughts in the comments below!
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Observations from Disney’s Hollywood Studios Toy Story Midway Mania FastPass+ Only Testing is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
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