Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1184
September 22, 2014
Menu Monday: Animal Kingdom Beer Oases
By Scott Wurzel
The beer situation in the Animal Kingdom is rough. They seem to be cognizant of this, since they recently added several “beer carts” along the paths in Asia (near Everest and on the way to DinoLand U.S.A.). Indeed, the rising demand for good beer seems to be causing a bit of a branding crisis for the park. Ubiquitous is the Safari Amber ($6.95), which Cast Members will tell you is specially brewed for the Animal Kingdom. That’s a little bit of a stretch: it’s actually specially *branded* for the park. You know the “Red” or “Amber” beer that seems to appear in restaurants that only sell Bud and Bud Lite, but has some cute name that directly references the tacky ambiance of wherever you are? This is the selfsame brew, and will taste exactly like Kingdom Red Ale in the Kansas City Chief’s stadium, or Ray’s Red at Tropicana Field in Tampa, or Thirsty Frog Red Ale “brewed exclusively for Carnival Cruise Lines.” If you’ve had one of these mystery “Red Ales” before, you’ve had the mediocre Safari Amber.
I’d like to go though each land of Animal Kingdom like I did for Epcot, reviewing spots and providing rankings for each experience, but it’s just not possible here. You will be looking for an Oasis, not wandering through a verdant field of hops. With that in mind …
Dawa Bar
Located in Africa, right outside Tusker House. The bar represents a microcosm of the Animal Kingdom experience. The selection is sparse and lacks air conditioning but is none-the-less pleasant and entertaining. The live band is right behind you, and ample shade, cool beer, and ceiling fans can make you forget the heat. Don’t be fooled by the vast collection of craft beer bottles along the back of the bar; they are only decoration. My bartender said they were there because they “have animals on them.” The taps, however, are functional. In addition to Bud and Safari Amber, there is Tusker Lager from Kenya and St. George Lager from Ethiopia (both $7.50). It’s great to see “local” beer on tap, and in another setting both might be just average, but there is something about this bar that makes the very fizzy, honey touched Tusker Lager work. The St. George beer is inferior to Tusker but better than Safari Amber. Oh, and the bartender says the Tusker House restaurant is named after the beer. Who needs a guidebook when you have a bartender? The Dawa Bar also has a good selection of mixed drinks for your spirit-drinking companions.
Rainforest Cafe Bar
Rainforest Cafe Bar
The restaurant is loud but also indoors and the bar has plenty of space, making an open spot or two likely. It’s also open for as much as one hour after park closing. Safari Amber makes another appearance here, but so do the seasonal Samuel Adams (Oktoberfest right now) and Yuengling (both $7.95). Both are better than average choices, if not particularly exotic. Being able to order off the restaurant’s menu is a plus.
Asia
A couple of carts have been added along the path running through Asia. They sell Kingfisher Premium Lager from India and Singha from Thailand, both in bottles. I have seen Singha in Asian restaurants, but Kingfisher was new to me. (Ed. – Kingfisher is also available at Sanaa – it’s particularly good with the Indian-inspired menu there.) It’s too bad these aren’t on tap, but if you are stuck in Asia waiting on your party to get off Everest, these are not bad options.
It turns out Animal Kingdom is not a completely barren beer desert. If you know where to look, you’ll be in no danger of thirst.
Need more advice for what to drink in the World? Make sure you check out the Walt Disney World Bars and Lounges eGuide, which will be receiving a substantial update this October.
• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print
Menu Monday: Animal Kingdom Beer Oases is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Disney Dining: ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
By Derek Burgan
It has been years since I have been to ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and I have been looking forward to a return for a long time. Getting dining reservations at this popular restaurant can at times be as frustrating as Cinderella’s Royal Table or Anna and Elsa at Fairytale Hall, so when Tim Grassey – my co-host of the E-Ticket Report podcast - scored a dinner reservation and asked me to join him, I jumped at the chance to see if ‘Ohana was as good as I remembered it being. (Please note that all pictures in this article can be viewed at full size by clicking on them.)
‘Ohana Bread Pudding a la mode with Bananas-Caramel Sauce. More on this later…. (photo by Brandon Glover)
I met Brandon Glover, the official staff photographer of the SATURDAY SIX, at the Poly’s Grand Ceremonial House, and we proceed to go upstairs to check in for our 8:20 PM reservation.
Queue set up for ‘Ohana check-in desk. There is no truth to the rumors that ‘Ohana will become a Tier 1 FP+ selection in 2015.
Once we checked in we were told that the restaurant was running about 15 minutes behind schedule. It was currently 8:00PM, so we were looking at a half hour or so before we would be called into the restaurant. There is a large area between the check-in desk and the restaurant with a good amount of seating while you wait. There is a lot of construction going on right now at the Poly, with so many construction walls around the area that Downtown Disney is becoming jealous. The Grand Ceremonial House has make-shift walls everywhere, including the area near ‘Ohana. These particular walls are covered in concept art for the renovation and look really neat.
Plants in the ‘Ohana waiting area.
Seats and couches in the ‘Ohana waiting area with concept art of the redesigned Disney’s Polynesian Village adorning the walls.
We decided to hit the Tambu Lounge, which is located directly next to ‘Ohana. It has stools circling the bar and limited seating next to it.
Tambu Lounge, located directly next to ‘Ohana.
We decided to try the Kona Longboard Island Lager and the Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale. Both were decent, and the price ($6.75 each) didn’t seem too bad for the size. We’re gonna need to come back and try some of the options on the bar menu, including the pulled pork nachos and the pork sliders.
Kona Longboard Island Lager and Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale ($6.75 each.)
At 8:45 PM our buzzer went off, and it was time to head into ‘Ohana. I recommend that you do whatever you can to make sure you are seated in the main dining area and, if possible, ask for a window seat. ‘Ohana has large windows with a gorgeous view overlooking the Magic Kingdom. What’s more, during the nighttime spectaculars such as Happy HalloWishes, the lights of ‘Ohana dim, and you can watch the fireworks display outside the window while the soundtrack plays throughout the restaurant. This was awesome. As if getting a reservation wasn’t hard enough, if you want to plan your dinner experience around these fireworks, try to schedule your ADR for about an hour before the start of the nighttime spectacular.
#story
Dining room atmosphere.
The main dining room is also home to the impressive pit at the center of the room where you can see various meats being grilled. There is a lot of fire going on here, making a great visual.
An open-pit in the center of ‘Ohana has chefs surrounded by flames. Now that WWE has gone PG this is the closest most of us will get to seeing an “inferno match.”
Once the food starts coming, it doesn’t stop. First up is the ‘Ohana Pineapple-Coconut Bread. I was informed by several of my dining companions that this bread is Fool’s Gold and that I should not fill up on it. However, I consider myself a true bread man and basically ate a whole loaf by myself. Very tasty.
‘Ohana Pineapple-Coconut Bread.
The regular mixed green salad has been taken off the menu (although as of this writing it is still on Disney’s ‘Ohana online menu). Earlier this year ‘Ohana was serving the mixed green salad along with a new Lettuce Wrap. The lettuce wrap is all that is served now, but I believe you can ask the server for a salad as well.
Lettuce Wrap.
Next up were the Pork Dumplings tossed in Garlic-Ginger Sauce and Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings. The pork dumplings are essentially pot stickers, something I am not a fan of anywhere else I have ever been, but these were great. A crispy shell and large piece of spicy pork are in the center. The wings may have been the hit of the table, as we had at least three refills on them alone. These were some of the best wings I have had anywhere. The sauce they are marinated in is honey-coriander. Now I always thought a coriander is what you strain spaghetti in, so don’t ask me exactly what it is, but I can assure you it tastes great.
Pork Dumplings and Chicken Wings.
Pork Dumpling tossed in Garlic-Ginger Sauce and a Honey-Coriander Chicken Wing.
Before the meat skewers started arriving, the server brought over cups of sweet-n-sour sauce along with a peanut sauce. I’m a big fan of the peanut sauce and ended up dipping everything into it: meat, chicken wings, bread, you name it.
Sweet-n-Sour and Peanut sauces.
Then came the meats. First came the steak, then pork, and finally the spicy grilled peel-n-eat shrimp. Chicken has been taken off the rotation. I thought both the steak and pork were cooked perfectly. I’m not the biggest fan of shrimp, but enjoyed the couple servings I had. For the people who did like shrimp at our table, these were the highlight of the night. What’s great about ‘Ohana is you can ask for more of whatever you want at any time. Don’t like a particular piece of meat because you feel it has too much fat on it? Stop eating it and ask for another one. I asked for more peanut sauce, and almost immediately there were two full cups brought over to me.
Szechuan Sirloin Steak.
Spicy Grilled Peel-n-Eat Shrimp.
While you are enjoying the meat they also bring along plates of noodles and fresh vegetables. This dish was tossed in a teriyaki sauce and was very flavorful.
Noodles, tossed in a Teriyaki Sauce with Fresh Vegetables.
In the last year I’ve discovered that I really enjoy two desserts that I had spent most of my life avoiding. The first is Baked Alaska. I actually thought this was a fish dish my whole life (I’m sure you’re shocked, shocked to find out I was not raised in a family of foodies), but I ended up trying it on a Royal Caribbean cruise I took last fall. Loved it. I always assumed bread pudding was some awful dish from the U.K. that would rate high on my list with haggis and blood pudding as Things I Never Need To Eat. Now, I still may not know what regular bread pudding is, but ‘Ohana Bread Pudding is one of my favorite desserts on WDW property.
Professional hand model slowly drizzling Bananas-Caramel Sauce over ‘Ohana Bread Pudding a la mode.
Two gigantic slices were delivered to our table, served with vanilla ice cream, and had a side of bananas-caramel sauce which you could pour over it. Basically it was like eating warm french toast with ice cream and an unbelievable syrup poured on top. This knocked my socks off. In my lifelong quest to develop adult-onset diabetes, the ‘Ohana bread pudding gets an A+. As with every other item on the menu, they will bring out as many slices as you want. If I hadn’t had a two hour drive home afterwards, I may have shut the place down and just passed out in a food coma in front of the fire pit.
Perfection.
At the end of a meal a stack of warm towels is delivered to the table.
Hot towels mark the end of the meal.
Upon leaving the restaurant we took a quick tour around the Grand Ceremonial House for me to find all the pressed penny machines. On some of the walls there are fun photo ops with the Disney characters.
Photo op at the Poly. I can’t find my Rosetta Stone software but I believe E Komo Mai translates to “Ask me about DVC.”
The main gift shop downstairs always has a lot of cool items, and now they also have a wide selection of merchandise that made its debut at the Marketplace Co-Op at Downtown Disney. I always enjoy seeing the painted coconuts that you can also get at the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop.
A little bit of Downtown Disney’s Marketplace Co-Op at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
Coconut art at the Poly gift shop.
I found two pressed penny machines. The first was upstairs and strangely contained characters such as Pocahontas and Bruce the Shark from Finding Nemo. I liked getting pressed pennies of the various resorts I’ve visited and figured there has to be one for the Polynesian. The second machine is located in the main gift shop on the first floor.
Polynesian Pressed Quarter machine.
This is what a dummy I am. There are five slots for coins in the machine so I tried almost every combination of two quarters and one penny, but it would never work. After I was about to lift the machine up and throw it out of a window (channeling Chief at the end of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), Brandon pointed out to me that it was a pressed quarter machine and took five quarters. The pressed quarter, itself, has Lilo on it and “Disney’s Polynesian Resort” at the top. If I had my druthers, when the Poly refurb is all done it will contain a couple more pressed penny machines with ‘Ohana, Kona Cafe, the bungalows, Stitch, and Bread Pudding, to start. Disney merchandising can write me at Derek@TouringPlans.com at any time to get my 30-page pressed penny wish list.
Lilo on the pressed quarter with “Disney’s Polynesian Resort” on top.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I went into the evening hoping ‘Ohana was as good as I remembered it and – for me – it more than delivered. The service was impeccable. Our main server, Cathy, never made us feel rushed and always seemed to be around at the right time for refills of food or drinks (non-alcoholic drinks are included with the meal). In fact, in a playful way she encouraged us to be as gluttonous as possible. She’s a woman after my own heart. I mentioned earlier that the Tambu Lounge has a limited menu, and two of the items it offers are the Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings and a slice of the ‘Ohana Bread Pudding. So if you don’t get the ‘Ohana reservation you are looking for, you can always just stop by the bar and at least get a sampling of this incredible meal.
I know some consider ‘Ohana overrated, but even at $32.99 per person I felt it was a great meal and didn’t feel ripped off at all. The food quality from beginning to end was fantastic. Seeing (and hearing) HalloWishes was a nice surprise, and the entire experience ranked right up there overall with my time at Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue (which is one of my favorite things at WDW). To steal an idea from my friend Billy Hirsch, I now have a dry erase board in my house with two things written on it: Days Since My Last ‘Ohana Meal and Days Until My Next ‘Ohana Meal. And the latter can’t get here soon enough.
For ‘Ohana reservations you can go online, or call 407-WDW-DINE. Tables in Wonderland is accepted.
All photos in this article are courtesy of Brandon Glover.
• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print
Disney Dining: ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Disneyland Resort Crowd Report – September 14 to 22, 2014
Predictions did very well last week with our Resort-wide predictions hitting the mark every day except Saturday. Wait times remained below average until the weekend arrived when we saw the first level ’6′ of September. The Southern California heat meant that Splash Mountain and Grizzly River Run were some of the busiest attractions of the week. During the week wait times were generally low however, and guests experienced relaxed touring across the 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
3
3
Sunday’s wait times at both parks were low with most attractions hitting a level ’1′ on our scale. The only major exceptions were the water rides Splash Mountain (44 minutes, predicted 33) and Grizzly River Run (37 minutes, predicted 24).
Disney California Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
2
2
Low waits again on Monday for most attractions. Haunted Mansion (13 minutes, predicted 9) and Pirates of the Caribbean (12 minutes, predicted 5) saw some slight increases while Early Entry at Disney California Adventure pushed waits slightly above the lowest level on our scale.
Disney California Adventure
1
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
3
4
For some reason it was lesser attractions like Astro Orbitor (20 minutes, predicted 14) and Jungle Cruise (23 minutes, predicted 19) that pushed Disneyland’s crowd level to a ’4′ on Tuesday.
Disney California Adventure
2
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
2
2
Twos across the board on Wednesday, exactly as predicted.
Disney California Adventure
2
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
2
2
More low waits on Thursday including many single-digit averages at Disney California Adventure. Monsters, Inc. (7 minutes) , California Screamin’ (8, predicted 13), Mickey’s Fun Wheel (8, predicted 14) and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree (5, predicted 8).
Disney California Adventure
2
1
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
3
4
Friday brought the highest waits since Tuesday but still below average for the year despite a midnight closing at Disneyland Park. Disney California Adventure waits were distinctly lower than at Disneyland but neither park had unmanageable waits.
Disney California Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Disneyland Park
4
6
Highest waits of the week hit both parks on Saturday. In fact, waits were as high as they have been since late August. Alice in Wonderland (38, predicted 24) and Haunted Mansion (35, predicted 18) saw the highest waits due to Alice’s latest refurb and the Mansion’s Halloween-themed overlay.
Disney California Adventure
3
4
What to Expect This Week
September 21 to 27, 2014
How Crowded is Disneyland?
Last week’s crowds may be an indication that the Fall lull in attendance is ending and moderate crowds are coming. Touring the parks will still be manageable through the rest of September and into October.
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 – September 14 to 22, 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 14 to 22, 2014
Universal Orlando Resort saw low waits all week last week with only a few exceptions. Most days came in at a level ’2′ as predicted with only Friday and Saturday departing from the week-long trend.
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
2
2
Lots of low wait times across both parks on Sunday including the perennial slow loader Pteranodon Flyers (7 minutes, predicted 37) and Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls (21 minutes, predicted 38).
Islands of Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
2
2
Level ’2′s at both parks again on Monday although Disaster! at Universal Studios did see level ’6′ waits (17 minutes, predicted 15). Rip Ride Rockit averaged an 11 minute wait (predicted 19) which is as low as it gets.
Islands of Adventure
2
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
3
2
The level ’2′s returned for the third day in a row on Tuesday despite our prediction that both parks would be slightly busier.
Islands of Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
2
2
On Wednesday our predictions returned to level ’2′ for both parks and the waits times stayed a level ’2′ again. Men in Black Alien Attack nudged higher at 14 minutes (predicted 11) while the rest of the resort showed wait times within a minute or two of our predictions.
Islands of Adventure
2
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
2
3
Universal Studios became the first park to break the streak of level ’2′s with its level ’3′ on Thursday thanks to slightly higher waits at The Simpsons Ride (17 minutes, predicted 12) and Men In Black (14 minutes, predicted 11).
Islands of Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
3
3
Lots of low wait times still on Friday despite the predicted level ’3′s at both parks. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man saw the paltry average of 10 minutes, much lower than the 28 minutes our predictions expected.
Islands of Adventure
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Universal Studios
4
4
By far the highest waits of the week were at Universal Studios on Saturday although some attractions like Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem (35 minutes, predicted 53) and Transformers: The Ride-3D (36 minutes, predicted 40) saw averages lower than expected.
Islands of Adventure
4
2
What to Expect This Week
September 21 to 27, 2014
How Crowded is Universal Orlando Resort?
The middle of September is typically a great week to visit the Universal Orlando Resort. Crowds are lighter with most schools in session and summer vacations concluded for most families. The opportunity to experience low crowds is dwindling however, with early Fall crowds making way for the slightly busier crowds of October and November.
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 – September 14 to 22, 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 14 to 22, 2014
Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival arrived for it’s 2014 installment last week while Magic Kingdom continued its schedule of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties. Wait times are down in general, continuing a low stretch that began in late August although we saw waits last week that were higher than the week before as expected. Wait times will gradually increase to levels that although lower than yearly averages are higher than what we saw in early September.
Let’s look at how the crowd levels stacked up each day last week on the TouringPlans.com Disney World Crowd Report:
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
2
1
Another Sunday evening Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom kept wait times low during the day. The shortened park hours make it difficult to complete a full Magic Kingdom Touring Plan but the wait times are so short, it is a great choice for a half-day plan. On Sunday, every Magic Kingdom attraction was a ’1′ on our scale.
Epcot
2
1
Hollywood Studios
3
4
Animal Kingdom
3
4
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
3
4
Magic Kingdom wait times predictably spiked higher on Monday, as they do after an evening event the night before. Resort-wide, Monday was the first day in a while that at least one park did not register a level ’1′ on our scale. Not surprising, we expected Fall crowds to begin a slow increase.
Epcot
3
2
Hollywood Studios
1
2
Animal Kingdom
2
3
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
2
1
Epcot’s wait times continue to be lower than usual this Fall, including averages like 40 minutes at Soarin’ (predicted 48) and 43 at Test Track (predicted 72).
Epcot
4
2
Hollywood Studios
2
1
Animal Kingdom
3
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
3
1
Much lower wait times than usual at Epcot on Wednesday, even for the normal Fall lull. 39 minute average posted time at Soarin’ (predicted 59) and 46 at Test Track (predicted 72). Mission: Space saw level ’1′s as well at both Orange (16 minutes, predicted 27) and Green missions (5 minutes, predicted 8).
Epcot
5
1
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
5
4
Studios wait times have been lower than usual as well including 29 minutes at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster on Thursday (predicted 46) and 56 minutes at Toy Story Midway Mania (predicted 62).
Epcot
5
1
Hollywood Studios
3
1
Animal Kingdom
2
2
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
2
1
Guests visiting Epcot may have experienced low wait times that constituted a ’1′ on our scale but we don’t mind our overestimate because Friday was the opening day of the 2014 installment of Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival. Epcot is often inundated with foodies on Friday through Sunday during the festival even though the attraction waits stay low.
Epcot
6
1
Hollywood Studios
2
3
Animal Kingdom
5
3
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
5
2
A level ’2′ on a Saturday at Magic Kingdom is a rare event even for the low Fall season. Despite hosting Extra Magic Hour evening until 1:00 am average wait times at Magic Kingdom stayed under 35 minutes for all attractions.
Epcot
4
3
Hollywood Studios
4
3
Animal Kingdom
4
2
What to Expect This Week
September 21 to 27, 2014
How Crowded is Walt Disney World?
This week’s crowds will be slightly higher than last week’s continuing a trend of slow increase since late August. Touring is still relaxed however with wait times much lower compared to the rest of the year.
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.
• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print
Disney World Crowd Report – September 14 to 22, 2014 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Menu Monday: Disney Dining Plan Snack Credit Savory “Meals”
If you use the Disney Dining Plan, this may be a familiar scenario. You have an early dinner dining reservation (say around 4:00 PM), and you figure if you use your quick service dining credit for a big breakfast, you’ll be able to last until that meal. Suddenly around 1:00 PM, you realize you really are missing lunch. You don’t want to pay out of pocket for another meal, but you really don’t want to use your Disney Dining Plan snack credit on a cupcake or ice cream bar for “lunch.” Thankfully, there are some savory options that you can use your snack credit on that fit the bill as a small lunch. Here are some of the best.
Baked Potato, Sweet Potato, or Roasted Corn: Liberty Square Market (Liberty Square, Magic Kingdom)
Baked potato, roasted corn, and sweet potato each are one snack credit. (Photo by Julia Mascardo)
Liberty Square Market, located in Liberty Square across from the entrance to the Haunted Mansion, has a wide variety of healthy dining options and foods for special dietary needs. It also has not one, but three savory snack credit options. Although the roasted corn with different flavor toppings (barbecue spice, Italian blend, lemon pepper, smoked paprika and salt, Jamaican jerk spice, cinnamon sugar, salt and pepper) is not a really meal in itself, the baked potato (which comes with margarine, sour cream, and cheese) and sweet potato (which only comes with margarine, but cinnamon/sugar flavor topping is also available) are both hearty snack options that could make a light meal.
Ham and Cheese Croissant: Les Halles Boulangerie & Pâtisserie (France Pavilion, Epcot)
The croissant jambon fromage (or ham and cheese croissant for those of us who are language-impaired), reminds me of a more upscale version of the ham and cheese croissant that you’d find in a fast food restaurant. The bonus is that the croissant doesn’t taste mass-produced and the cheese and béchamel really makes this indulgent. Make sure to have it heated up so the cheese gets good and melted!
As a runner up, try the lobster bisque and “splurge” for a half baguette. For a snack credit and $2, this makes for a wonderful lunch.
Curry Chicken Pockets and Pork Egg Rolls: Joy of Tea (China Pavilion, Epcot)
Pork egg rolls and chicken curry pockets from Joy of Tea. (Photo by Julia Mascardo)
These two offerings, both found at the Joy of Tea freestanding kiosk across from the China pavilion, were a pleasant surprise. Each snack credit is a serving size of two items (two curry chicken pockets or two pork egg rolls).
The egg roll was fairly standard take-out quality, but having two of them makes for a decent meal. I preferred the curry chicken pocket, which was flavorful but not spicy. My advice is to ask nicely at the kiosk and see if they would do one of each for a snack credit. Because there were two of us in the group, we ordered one order of each to make two combo plates, and it was a delightful and surprisingly filling savory snack.
California Roll, Temari Sushi, or Combo Sushi: Kabuki Café (Japan Pavilion, Epcot)
Sushi snack from Kabuki Cafe. (Photo by Julia Mascardo)
Found at the outside kiosk in Japan where you can also get kaki gori, Kabuki Café offers three sushi offerings. The California Roll is your typical sushi roll (fake crab, cucumber, avocado), but with only four pieces. The Temari Sushi is “bite size” pieces of nigiri with tuna, salmon, and shrimp. When they say bite size, they truly mean single bite sushi. They are about half the size of what you’d expect from nigiri, and come with tuna, salmon, and shrimp (so only three pieces instead of four). If you can’t decide, the Combo Sushi has two pieces of California Roll and one piece each of bite size salmon and shrimp nigiri.
Chicken Fried Rice: Yak & Yeti Local Foods Café (Asia, Animal Kingdom)
Yak and Yeti chicken fried rice. (Photo by Julia Mascardo)
Beyond a doubt, I know this can be a full lunch because this is what I had for lunch the other day! A full pint of chicken fried rice, served in a to-go container, and all for one snack credit. Even if you ended up paying cash for this, you likely wouldn’t find a comparable meal at this price anywhere on property.
In addition to these amazing offerings above, foods like a jalapeño pretzel, side salad, or cup of soup often count as snack credits and are available at a variety of locations. Check the menu boards at restaurants under the side items section—that is where you will find your snack credit options. If you find yourself at a place that has multiple savory snack credit options (like a soup and salad), you can also use multiple snack credits to build a full-size meal. (And if you have a snack credit left over, you could also add dessert!)
Found any other savory snack credit secrets? Feel free to give shout outs to your favorites in the comments.
• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print
Menu Monday: Disney Dining Plan Snack Credit Savory “Meals” is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
September 21, 2014
Speed Planning A First Trip To Universal Orlando
By Kevin Bastos
Outside Universal
By nature, we’re crazy planners. We like to look over the scenery, plan our day, and then return to the plan to tweak it. Last year, we planned a Walt Disney World trip in a month – and thought we’d never do anything crazier.
This year, we planned a first trip to Universal Orlando in ten days. Let’s take a ride.
Live blogging our trip to Universal
July 21, 2014
We’ve got this weird set of credits on Southwest that have to be used by May of next year, and, being teachers, we can’t really see an opportunity to use them. So my wife, Christy, keeps looking at flights and attempting to see what will work. We’ve looked at other locations, quick trips in the near future, and essentially come to the conclusion to just hold on to them. We actually look at Universal, but reservations aren’t available for our dates, August 2 to August 6. So, we put it on hold.
July 22, 2014
We resolved to wait, but I checked the website. And inputted the dates. And something strange happened. I asked my wife again which hotel it was. Frankly, I still have no idea which hotels are which. Except Cabana Bay. That sticks out in my brain. “Loews Royal Pacific,” she retorts. Which shows up on the list. For our departure in ten days. After a quick look back and forth, we go to work.
iPad in her hands and computer in mine, we are assembling. I’ve inputted the dates into the Universal site, and quickly updated that to show the Harry Potter package and reservations for breakfasts on two days. Christy has the Southwest site. And it’s giving major headaches. It turns out that each reservation can only use four methods of payment per reservation, and we have five people in our party. After contacting Southwest, I decide to plan our trip in three chunks – including one adult and one young child in each reservation. I’m starting to stress that once I book one reservation, and the other spots will become unavailable or more expensive. It means sacrificing the smallest credits, but we should all be able to book. I’ve got two browsers open on the computer, and the iPad working, and I’m able to reserve all of the spots! I turn to the computer and prepare to pay. For the reservation that no longer exists. I’ve been logged out.
So now, I have five flights set together, with no reservation. I flip back over to the Universal site and check again. Not available. So, I get on the phone, ready to be terrifyingly kind despite my frantic state. I start hearing the hold message – and it shows up. I input the dates, grab the reservations again, and stay on the line all the way until the end of the booking. And I put in the credit card – but not the Disney Visa card – and keep my fingers crossed. Success. And what have I done? I’ve booked a trip in ten days. Well, eleven. But who’s counting, right?
My daughter has been waiting for the computer. Note that I have not used the word patiently. And my wife and I decide to discuss what in the world happens next. We start thinking, and I start panicking. Christy mentions that Orlando – and the planning of this trip – may be our mid-life crisis. I find that comforting and calming. We decide to take our walk – a quick jaunt around the neighborhood to calm our nerves. But still, this trip departs in like… ten days.
After our small saunter, we let the kids in on our crazy plan, and my brain starts flying. I know nothing, really, about Universal other than that it’s in Orlando. I need to find this stuff out. So, I start flipping through the Unofficial Guide. The planning is in there, but it’s scant. By the end of the night, I’ve added three books specializing in Universal Orlando to my Kindle app. Then I start to read. Should I have the dining plan? What about reservations? Express Passes? Slow down.
Most importantly, I nail down the few rides that don’t include the Express Pass. And input them into a computer. If I visit those, I should be fine afterward. I then remember that we are leaving for Washington, D.C., to pick up my niece this weekend. So, even though we leave in ten days, we have less to really plan.
July 23, 2014
We need to make arrangements for the dog! Mythos seems to be the best restaurant – and it’s unavailable for our Islands of Adventure day, so we plan to come back on the split day for dinner. At least it’s near the train. Our reservation is 4:45 PM on a not-eating-a-Harry-Potter-breakfast day, so we should be fine.
July 24, 2014
Finalize. Check. Pack for Washington, D.C.
July 25 – July 28
We are in Washington, D.C.
July 29, 2014
Serious reading. I’ve now finished off three books on the Kindle, and transferred the pieces of information from my general set over to the plans for each day. And oh, yeah. Drive my niece back to her Mom’s house up north. Not much seriously done on planning today.
July 30, 2014
Now time to finalize technology and touring plans. Make certain that apps are correctly downloaded to phones and that I can access them from Wi-Fi. I’m still trying to finalize a few items but have no big worries.
I’m trying to figure out a plan for each day. It seems to make the most sense to start each day in the Harry Potter section of each park – knowing that is the focal reason for getting to Universal – and our reason for getting to Universal, too. Plus, the rides there don’t qualify for Unieversal Express. Start in Harry Potter and work our way clockwise around the park, according to THIS PLAN FOR UNIVERSAL DAY ONE.
Sunday, August 3, 2014 – Islands of Adventure. It essentially hits up the Harry Potter section of the park and flips through major rides there. I’ve allotted time to pick up the Universal Photo Connect on the first day. It swings around, giving two rides on the Dragon Challenge, one for each parent. My youngest is still too short to ride it. We should be able to saunter the land while the two older girls ride Dragon Challenge. Then, breakfast at Three Broomsticks and Flight of the Hippogriff, before wandering out into Seuss Landing. From there, we’ll see the rest of the park clockwise. It includes nearly every attraction that I think we will have any interest in hitting throughout the day. Plus, Hulk won’t accomodate my shortest child, and Spider-Man is located nearby. We should be able to flip back again through it while the girls ride the Hulk. A late lunch at Thunder Falls, and then finishing up with a second trip to Hogsmeade. I’ve included a second ride on Forbidden Journey, too. Then, a train ride over to London to get our bearings over at Diagon Alley, so tomorrow, we will know exactly where we are going.
Monday, August 4, 2014 – Universal Studios Florida THIS PLAN FOR UNIVERSAL DAY TWO
Atop Gringott’s
(Please understand that due to a few modifications when writing this article, the PAST date is no longer available, so I had to modify it FORWARD and then re-check. But be assured, this was the plan we used – to some broken degree – on that date. More on that later.) We again start with Harry Potter – in Hogsmeade, this time. After the ride on Gringotts, we plan to hit Ollivanders, then tour through Hogsmeade. Then, when the rest of the park opens, we will hit up MEN IN BLACK and The Simpsons ride. I have planned to hit up the food court in Springfield for healthy treats, good variety, and of course a waffle sandwich with a side of giant donut and ice cream, too. We will continue to work our way clockwise around the park, ending at Hogwarts Express back to IOA for dinner over at Mythos and back again to finish up the Studios.
Our last day, we will more than likely start over at the Studios, again. While at this point, we haven’t ridden or seen it, more than likely Gringotts will be our top priority once again. Then, we will hit our favorite rides in the same order again, clockwise. Then, we’ll train back over to IOA and hit our favorites over there.
July 31, 2014
Laundry day. Morning to evening. Fun. And packing subsequently.
August 1, 2014
Remind everyone to not wear anything that you want to wear for the trip. Finalize the end of packing and planning by double-checking the placement and size of zipper bags. Drop off the dog. Eat dinner with friends. Check in our three separate reservations. Sent boarding passes back home. Begin to really freak out that we are leaving. Tomorrow. And print out all of the boarding passes.
August 2, 2014 – Departure day
We are actually feeling pretty good today. Shocking. We didn’t sleep too well. Anyone else have that we can’t sleep feeling before leaving for a vacation? We call it ‘being big, dumb idiots.’ It feels a lot like I used to feel on Christmas Eve. I have the same not being able to sleep feeling the night before the first day of school every year. We plan on heading over to Hot Topic for matching outfits. Our oldest has a credit – and we are wearing matching outfits kind of people. Perhaps that’s the brainstorm for the next article. We grab outfits that work – not exactly matching, but they are all Harry Potter ones. I will check out Universal itself to find our ‘house’ shirts. Our first dinner plan – too crowded. So we end up at a second choice. And then off to the airport.
Looking backward
My reflections? Multitudes. Our touring plan had us at the front of the park and trying to ride Shrek, and the Despicable Me in the early afternoon. What a mess. Shrek and Despicable Me both listed wait times of under 10 minutes on the touring plans app, as nearly every ride did via the touring plans set up – with Universal Express Pass. When we arrived, we waited longer. We waited almost an hour (inclusive of the ride itself) on Shrek and over an hour for Despicable Me in its entirety. Both waits were over 30 minutes in real wait time – even with the Universal Express Unlimited. With the length of the attractions themselves plus the extra time in the Express Line, we spent around two hours on these attractions. (Ed. - wait times that long for any attraction when you use Express Pass is very unusual.) I’m not certain what happened there, but neither experience was worth the wait for the ride, and I felt like the pre-show was better on both experiences. In defense, we were about five people from getting into a Shrek show, and that could have shaved fifteen minutes from our wait time, but unless you can ‘walk on’ to Shrek, I wouldn’t waste your time, and I might wait one turn for Despicable Me. (Ed. – I agree that neither attraction is worth waiting for.) At the same time, shortly thereafter, we waited 30 minutes for Revenge of the Mummy. It was one of the best rides in either park. My kids ended up riding it eight times over the next two days.
The author samples some liquid cereal in a nearly empty Diagon Alley
On the other hand, the plan allocated significant time to Diagon Alley at its least busy time of day. Most guests will spend a significant amount of time in Diagon Alley, and few will get there as early as we did. Those that do arrive may move through Gringotts and then sprint to a high traffic ride. Don’t. Taking time to see that section of that park – I might wait three hours for Shrek. I am certainly not the first person to point this out, but Diagon Alley may be the most spectacular section of any theme park in any area ever. I kept telling my wife, “J.K. can be as much of a selfish woman as she wants to be. Universal has made this come to life.” Most of the rest of the time we spent moving our way through Diagon Alley, throngs of people dodged their way through tourists who had their hands raised high, taking photo after photo. Seeing it in the early morning gave a certain beauty to the experience. Certainly, we were able to navigate much more easily. I can remember one experience when my seven year old successfully completed a spell, and then flitted down the alley, past her wizard team member. The man then turned to me and asked, “Did she just run gleefully into Knockturn Alley?” Knowing that she’s experienced all of this before, I smiled, and our family ran to keep up with her. I may have also stopped to enjoy some of the ‘liquid cereal’ for breakfast – suggested by a team member – but it felt polished. It did not feel new. My girls tried out spells without having to wade through throngs, and the small details could be experienced. I kept thinking about all of our experiences on our first trip through Animal Kingdom – a rather polarizing park. On our first trip, we flipped through our plan, eager to see all everything. We missed the point. Animal Kingdom is a park to be savored, like fine wine or a great steak. Later trips, we slowed down, missed many of the ‘experiences,’ but experienced the park. Diagon Alley takes that argument to a new level. Being first in line and moving quickly to our first target gave us ample time to really see all that Universal had built – and Diagon Alley is glorious.
My conclusion? Universal isn’t Disney World. At all. And it can be done. Quickly. And should. We loved Universal. And we’re REALLY Disney people. Crazy. While we were there? We decided that we wouldn’t return for a few years. Now, we’re planning to return in two years, and then every year after. But by next summer, who knows? I mean, next summer’s still more than ten days away, right?
• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print
Speed Planning A First Trip To Universal Orlando is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Best Places to Find Pins at Disney World
Disney Pin Trading has become somewhat of a Disney vacation pastime and is one of my personal favorite things to do when I visit Disney World. What is Disney Pin Trading? Well, all throughout Disney World you will find metal pins for sale representing everything from characters to resorts to attractions to special events. The more pins you purchase, the greater your collection, plus you have great mementos to remember your vacation by; but this souvenir experience is also interactive in that you can trade with Cast Members, or with other guests, if they so choose. It’s a fun activity that everyone can enjoy while exploring the parks and resorts!
Disney Pin Trading
Now you will find Disney Pins for sale almost everywhere throughout the parks and resorts, but there are some corners of Disney World where you may find a better selection of pins or those rare, special edition pins or just maybe that one you’ve been hunting for the whole trip. So read on to check out my best places to find pins at Disney World!
Epcot’s Morocco Pavilion – This particular Epcot pavilion is one of my favorites because there’s a lot more to see than just the fountain and restaurants found at the front. The Morocco Pavilion actually extends back farther than what you may realize in a network of exotic, winding streets which contain lots of things to see and a few shops. It’s impressive and trust me, you will have a hard time reminding yourself that you’re actually in Central Florida and not Morocco! Anyway, back to Disney Pins. So because most guests don’t realize that the Morocco pavilion offers more than just what’s at the front door, the Cast Members who work at the rear of the pavilion, and their lanyards, aren’t visited by guests nearly as much as at others. While nothing is guaranteed, Morocco, in my opinion, is a good bet for those rare Cast Member pins!
Stores & Service Locations – Most shops and stores at the parks have their own individual pin boards from which you can trade from. Some stores have their own “themed” boards that match the theme of the land or attraction they belong to, which only makes trading even more fun! Some of the pin boards at the Disney World Resorts are only brought out at certain times and may have a trading limit. If you’re not sure, feel free to ask! In addition, many service locations at Disney World, such as stroller rentals, also have their own pin boards. I’ve even heard of a pin covered stroller with a stuffed Mickey Mouse in the seat from which you can trade at the Magic Kingdom! Pin boards are where I go to in order to trade because you never know what you might find, and very few guests realize that service locations have their own pin boards.
Disney Pin Traders at Downtown Disney
The Emporium – One of the largest stores at Disney World is the Magic Kingdom’s Emporium. While typically congested, it’s worth visiting because you can find a wide variety of Disney merchandise, some of which you may not find anywhere else. The Emporium offers a few racks of pins with a decent selection; but the reason I have included it on my list is because it is almost always the location where Magic Kingdom special event pins are sold, like those Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party pins! Be sure to note that they are typically not available for sale all the time, only during party hours and the popular designs do go fast.
Frontierland Trading Post – A visit to the Magic Kingdom for a pin collector is simply not complete without a browse through the Frontierland Trading Post. You see, this store offers a wide selection of Disney Pins, conveniently categorized into sections for your shopping convenience. Some of these sections are dedicated to new releases and limited editions! Avid pin collectors can also a few other pin trading items you probably haven’t seen in most stores on Disney property. If you can leave the store without another shopping bag in tow, you’re a stronger person than I am.
Disney Pin Traders – This Downtown Disney location is the ultimate place to find Disney pins. Pretty much every current pin on property can be found here, including pins from all of the Disney World Resorts and even an assortment from the Disney Cruise Line. This is also where to go for new releases and Annual Passholder pins. To see the best variety and to pick up those rare finds for your collection, this is where you want to go.
Where do you go at Disney World to find pins? Is pin trading a big part of your Disney vacation?
• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print
Best Places to Find Pins at Disney World is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
September 20, 2014
DisneyQuest: Five Floors Of Fun!
By Daisy Lauren
Recently, I was asked to upgrade my Disney pass to help out with some extra stuff here at Touring Plans. I hadn’t bothered with a premium annual in years since it just meant access to DisneyQuest and the water parks. I’d remembered DisneyQuest as a let down with lots of broken machines and outdated technology. It was a couple months after upgrading that I decided to finally stop in and see if anything had changed. I don’t know if it was just because of the time that had passed or due to recent changes, but I had a great time and wondered why I’d written the place off so many years ago. So with a fresh perspective I thought I’d share what you can expect from the five floors of fun at DisneyQuest!
Floor 1:
Virtual Jungle Cruise: While this does remind me of technology from the Xbox Kinect game, Disneyland Adventures, it has a unique twist. You actually climb aboard a boat and paddle with real oars down the virtual river! Oddly, the only animals I’ve ever seen during this experience are dinosaurs. Still, it’s fun to work together with the rest of the boat to decide which direction to go. Each boat faces a large projection screen. This ride isn’t a technological wonder but it’s fun if you don’t overthink it.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold: I really like this one! To begin you enter an room with a small pirate ship bow built inside. Hanging off both sides of the boat are cannons. They remind me of the ones used at Toy Story Midway Mania. Projections screens come to life all around the boat and it’s up to you to defend your crew. This game is tough if your group is small, so the more the merrier for this game! Not mentioned on the maps are additional arcade games on this floor. They normally aren’t as busy and are mostly jungle themed.
Floor 2:
Radio Disney SongMaker: I still have my CD from many, many years ago! This is a great stop for a fun, unique souvenir. Each group is able to enter a recording booth where you name a song, create your lyrics, choose your singer, and change the style of your music. Every time this song pops up on my iPod I smile and remember how much fun we had. 
I haven’t tried it recently, but I plan to. Let me know in the comments below if there is anything specific you’d like to see.
Animation Academy: Much like at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, this is where you can learn to draw your favorite Disney characters. The difference is that rather than pen and paper you’ll encounter a screen to draw on with a stylus. It can be a bit of a challenge to get used to but it’s much easier to erase and there’s even an undo button!
Living Easels: This one was more fun many moons ago, but these days most iPads can pretty much do the same. Here easels setup with large screens for virtual finger painting. There are different stickers you can add in and then you can animate your work of art. I’m sure kids will still have fun with the large screens even though they’re jaded with all their modern gadgets.
Sid’s Create-A-Toy: Remember the naughty kid from Toy Story? Well here you get to create bizarre and unique toys just like he did. Everything is virtual with a fun joystick interface that allows you to select toy parts and put together your Frankenstein creation. They used to actually sell bags of toy pieces to take home but I didn’t see that on my most recent visits.
Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride: If you think back 10+ years and remember what we all thought virtual reality would look like, this attraction will be familiar. Here you sit on a “magic carpet” that looks a bit like a bike from all the driving games and put on a huge, doofy headset. The headset juts out in front of your face for nearly a foot to contain all the visual content. Once suited up you’re ready to go on your adventure. Fair warning: the older graphics lead to motion sickness in a lot of people.
CyberSpace Mountain: One of the most popular attractions in DisneyQuest, this is much like Sum of all Thrill at Epcot. First you are able to design your roller coaster ranging from mild to wild and then you load up for a virtual ride on what you’ve created. Unlike at Epcot, you are contained within the ride vehicle (no dangling legs). However, you are still required to leave your belonging in a locker prior to riding.
Floor 3:
The Underground Arcade: Many of the standard arcade games tend to bleed together for me. I will say that we noticed several games from our local Dave & Busters in this section that we’d normally pay to play. In the past I noticed older and broken games here but it seems to be well maintained these days.
Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam: This is a remarkable centerpiece for the arcade, but if I’m being honest I’ve never understood how to play it. The idea is that you’re a human pinball with a two story pinball machine projected on the screen in front of you. Each player mounts a small, round playing platform and is supposed to control the movement of their ball by changing the direction of their platform. What ends up happening is everyone jumps aboard and bounces around for a few minutes to loud music and flashy lights. It’s a neat experience, but a confusing one! (Maybe I’m just getting old?)
Race Zone: If I ever lose my hubby in DisneyQuest, I know I can find him here. This is the ultimate race track including Nascar, Star Wars, and just about everything else. This area actually puts our local Dave & Busters to shame. If someone in your family loves to race then this section alone will be worth the trip. The machines are tied together so that players can race each other. In the case of Nascar, 10 machines are all racing on the same track!
Classic Games: Just like the name indicates, here you can play classic games on free play. There are more of these classic games to be found on the 5th floor.
Buzz Lightyear’s AstroBlaster: These are only the best bumper cars in history!! Not only do you have the standard bumper car aspects, each car is equipped with a cannon! The ride vehicles are enclosed and the track is covered with “asteroids”, when your bumper car drives over an asteroid it picks it up and you’re able to load it into the cannon. If you shoot another ride vehicle with the asteroid you picked up they will spin uncontrollably for a few seconds. Of course, the asteroids are just rubber balls, but this game is a riot! It does tend to get a line, though. Make sure you prioritize it early in the day.
Floor 4:
Sports Arena Arcade: This is just what the name indicates. Head here for baseball, basketball, bowling, and even fishing. There are tons of games packed into this area and some are brand new. Again, I’m impressed that Disney seems to be investing in some quality games.
Kid’s Area: I would describe this area as Chuck E. Cheese. It’s filled with all the little games that kids love and we all grew up playing. If you have a little one head here and they’ll be entertained for hours!
Wonderland Cafe: Need a snack? This is your best option in DisneyQuest. While I don’t think the food is great, you can’t beat the atmosphere. Quiet, dreamlike music wafts through the cafe and you almost forget there’s a loud arcade filled with kids just inches away! Be sure to visit even if you aren’t hungry just to see the divine theming.
Floor 5:
Invasion! An ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter: Much like everything in DisneyQuest, this is showing its age. However, the concept remains unique and exciting. You group is seated into a small 360 degree theater and you’re dropped on an alien planet to fight your way out. I won’t give away too much but it’s a must do.
Classic Games: Just like on the 3rd floor here you’ll find classic games on free play. There are even pinball machines up on the 5th floor!
FoodQuest: This is another dining option but without the magical theming you’ll find at Wonderland Cafe. Years ago this was run by Cheesecake Factory and the food was amazing! These days it’s a standard Disney outlet with staples like hamburgers. Nothing terrible if you are stuck and hungry, but nothing special.
So there you have it, a complete look at what DisneyQuest has to offer! Are you thinking of visiting? Do you have any questions that I can research for you? Which game sounds like the most fun to you? Please let us know in the comments below and as always thank you for reading and commenting.
• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print
DisneyQuest: Five Floors Of Fun! is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
September 19, 2014
2014 Epcot Food & Wine Festival Menus Added to TouringPlans.com
Yesterday was the soft open of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, which officially began today. Because of the invaluable help of Chat moderator, Susan Weaver; friend of the site, Heather Pero; and blogger, Maddi Higgins, we’re able to bring you this year’s Food & Wine menus and pricing in plenty of time to start planning your assault on the booths.
The biggest change this year is the elimination of all larger sized beer offerings. Whereas in previous years beers were sold in 6-, 12-, and 22-oz. sizes, for 2014 you’ll only find 6-oz. pours and flights of 4 beers at 4 oz. each. Those are priced $3.50 and $9.25, respectively.
It will come as no surprise that prices have generally gone up from last year. Most of the returning items are 25-50¢ higher this year. The majority of food items are in the $3.75 to $5.75 range. Desserts are usually around $3.
Nearly every booth at least one vegetarian choice, though many times that choice is dessert only. Vegan choices are only found at Terra, which returns this year.
The Food & Wine Festival runs now through November 10. TouringPlans recommends visiting on weekdays to avoid what can be very long lines at the food kiosks.
• Facebook • Twitter • Google Plus • Pinterest • Print
2014 Epcot Food & Wine Festival Menus Added to TouringPlans.com 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
