Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1193

Boo to You: Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP)

By Amy Farkas

The Halloween party is fun for all ages!
Photo by Kent Philips

Ed. – if it’s August, it must be Halloween in Central Florida. Today we’re running this article on Walt Disney World’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, along with one on Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights and Busch Garden’s Howl-O-Scream.

Not into the dark side of Halloween? Fake blood, chainsaws, and people chasing you not your thing? Although Halloween is usually associated with these things, there are still some of us innocent hearted individuals that prefer the Halloween of our youth: carving pumpkins, dressing up as our favorite cartoon character or super hero, eating caramel apples and drinking apple cider, and my all-time favorite the glutinous event of trick or treating. There was just something about knocking on the door of family and friends dressed as a smurf, hobo, Raggedy Anne, or whatever other thing my mother concocted that made my heart beat with delight. Waiting ever so patiently while grandma oohed and aahed over me, all the while wondering with childhood anticipation what goodie she was going to place into my plastic pumpkin. Sometimes it was raisins (oh granny, what a great sense of humor you have) and sometimes it was a whole regular size candy bar (jackpot!). Either way, it was my reward for this one night of joy.

Although I am much older now, I still get that giddy feeling each year as Halloween approaches. We carve the pumpkins, we eat the caramel apples, and yes, we dress in costume and still partake in the sugar rush frenzy of Trick or Treat; although now we are the ones passing out the goodies and oohing and aahing over all the little darlings that knock on our door and yell a boisterous “Trick or Treat”. Except when we visit Walt Disney World during the Halloween season; it is then that we can fully return to our youth and experience Halloween as we did as a child with the wondrous Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) at Magic Kingdom.

Meet the Mayor of MNSSHP in Town Square.

At the end of August, going into September, the Fall Decorations come out at the Magic Kingdom. The hub area in Town Square is decorated with Citizen Scarecrows and the summer foliage throughout the park is changed out for more Autumn related plants such as mums and grasses that look like mini corn stalks. The banners that decorate Main Street are now white, yellow and orange instead of the patriotic bunting that decorates the area during the spring and summer months, and you can also find pumpkins adorning the rooftops along the way. It is evident that autumn has arrived at the Magic Kingdom.

But on select nights starting September 1st and going through October 31st, the decorations are enhanced to include friendly little ghosts, festive wreaths, and Disney character jack o’ lanterns. This is Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party: a hard ticket event that runs 7pm – midnight during which guests are encouraged to dress up (rules do apply) and become a kid again. Yes, the Halloween decorations and being able to dress up as Vanellope Von Sweets may set your heart a pitter patter, but MNSSHP is SO much more than that.

Arrival at the Party

Although the party officially starts at 7pm, guests can enter the park as early as 4pm with their MNSSHP ticket and will receive a special event wristband. Entrance at this time will not count as a day’s park ticket and will get you 3 extra hours in Magic Kingdom to experience attractions. With the introduction of the new Fastpass+ system you will be able to secure ride times during these first three hours only. Once the actual party starts (7pm) all attractions are standby only, but with controlled crowd numbers, wait times are usually much less than during the day. One important note: not all attractions are open during the party, but you can rest assured that the most popular ones are (unless down for scheduled maintenance).

As you enter the park under the train station, be sure to grab a special event park map and time guide. It will help you locate which attractions and food locations are open, along with where special party events such as dance parties and parades will be located. Also on this map you will find the most important piece of information; where the trick or treat stations are located throughout the park. Usually after you step out of the entrance tunnel, you will find Cast Members handing out bags for Trick or Treating. These are free and you should be sure to get one (adults are just as welcome to them as children). It will definitely come in handy later as you make your way around the park.

What you do next depends on what you are most interested in experiencing; attractions or characters. It is a hard choice. In the past, we have opted to skip the characters and focus our time on attractions. However, Disney has really stepped up their game in the character department with the introduction last year of Jack and Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas, and this year I think we will focus more on characters.

Meet Jack & Sally in Town Square for the 2014 MNSSHP.
Photo by Kent Philips

Character Meet and Greets

Although the event map is a wealth of information, the one thing it has lacked in the past is information on where the character meet and greets are. We always just seemed to happen upon them. But, with some research ahead of time, you should be able to plan where each character will be. Planning ahead will be a must if you want to see Jack and Sally, as the line for them gets long very quickly. Some other elusive characters that have appeared at MNSSHP in the past are: all 7 Dwarfs together, the Queen of Hearts, Dr. Facilier, Lotso, and the Tremain family. Of course, this is just a sampling, and this year’s characters have not been leaked yet.  One of my favorite sources for character locations is Kenny the Pirate, whom always just seems to know.

Dance Parties

Other character interactions include the Dance Parties. This year there will be two: the Villains Mix and Mingle located in front of Cinderella’s Castle, and the NEW Club Villain located at the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon in Frontierland. You will need to check the event map for specific times. Music is pumped into the area as guests are invited to dance along with Disney characters, in these cases, villains. The interaction is great. The characters make their rounds though the crowd, dancing with everyone. But, if you crave more interaction, hang around after the dancing ends. The characters will receive guests briefly.

Trick or Treating

The sugar rush shall begin.
Photo by Ali Nasser

Need a sugar rush after all that dancing? It might just be time to find some of those trick or treat locations. Check the map. You will also find signs lighting the way to your trick or treat trail.   After walking down a small queue area you will find at least two Cast Members handing out candy from large rolling tubs. The selection varies each night, and there usually is no chance of the supply running out. In fact, it has been our experience that more candy is passed out towards the end of the party than at the beginning. We have even experienced Cast Members handing out more candy as we went out the gates at the end of the night.

Parade

One of the highlights of MNSSHP is the Boo To You parade. Of all the Disney parades I have ever experienced, this is by far my favorite. There are generally two parade times: 8:15 and 10:30pm, with the latter being the less crowded. The characters all come out in costume for their float ride down the parade route, while the parade’s Boo To You song is infectious and will get stuck in your head. As with most Disney parades, you will need to claim your viewing spot early. Even if you are not that into parades and would rather be off riding Space Mountain, at least be there for the beginning when the Headless Horseman rides. You won’t be sorry. I also suggest sticking around for the Gravediggers who put on an electrifying act. And if you are going to stay that long, you may as well stay for the Goofy end.

Aglow with Halloween spirit.
Photo by Gene Duncan

Fireworks

Each night at around 9:30pm Oogie Boogie and friends treat guests to Hallowishes, the nightly fireworks extravaganza. Cinderella’s castle is lit with eerie colors, pyrotechnics fill the sky, and remixes of each featured villain’s theme song accompanies the show. It is quite the switch from the heart tugging Wishes that is featured most nights in the Magic Kingdom, but equally as good.

 

How to fit it all in!

With so many different things to do and see at the five hour party, you may be asking yourself how you fit it all in. Well that’s where the Touring Plans come in! Check out the following suggested plans that fit your situation, and be prepared to have a ghoulishly good time.

MNSSHP with small children (focusing on treats)

MNSSHP with small children (focusing on attractions)

MNSSHP for adults

Event Merchandise

As with any Disney event, there will be exclusively themed merchandise available for purchase only during the party hours inside the Magic Kingdom. Historically there have been T-shirts, pins, canvas tote bags, ear hats, and even vinylmation. Displays are usually located near the registers. Check the Emporium on Main Street for the best selection.

The must knows

This party is a crowd favorite and some nights do sell out in advance. Check crowd calendars for predictions if you are concerned and buy your tickets in advance, either by phone (407-939-1289) or online. You can also wait and buy your tickets at the gate, IF the event has not already sold out. It is better to play it safe and buy in advance though. Tickets bought within 10 days of the event may be picked up at Will Call, or you can do the print at home option. ***note: with the introduction of My Disney Experience and the Magic Bands it is not clear if the paper ticket will be necessary for park entry. Ticket purchases do show up in your My Disney Experience, but I recommend printing the tickets and taking them along just to be safe.

2014 MNSSHP Dates:

September 1, 9, 13, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28

October 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31

Tickets range in price from $62 – $77 per adult and $57 – $72 per child depending upon the date you wish to attend, and are non-transferrable / non-refundable. Select dates offer Annual Passholders and DVC members a discount on tickets bought in advance.

Still not sure if you want to attend one of the Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties? Maybe this will change your mind. Hope to see you there!

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Boo to You: Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Daisy Lauren’s Best Week Ever: August 28, 2014

By Daisy Lauren

Hi, Everyone! Welcome to the Best Week Ever here at Walt Disney World! This week we’re taking a peek at Villains Unleashed at the Disney’s Hollywood Studios, taking a long overdue trip to Epcot, and ending with a look at the cutest shopping trend to hit Downtown Disney. Now let’s get started with these amazing photos courtesy of my fellow blogger, Scott Wurzel. Why aren’t they my photos you ask? Well, I skipped out on this one. Even up until the day of the event I was still itching to buy a ticket. It just isn’t the kind of thing I miss! But after not even being able to get into the park for the Villains night last year, I had serious doubts if the Studios could handle the event. Reviews have been mixed online, but I’m glad I trusted my gut. I don’t think this would have been much fun with the outrageous lines and short supply of event items. Did anyone head to the park for this event? What did you think?

Below are another couple photos from Scott. The Guardians of the Galaxy dance party seemed like one of the more popular entertainment offerings. Of course, it might have just been Star-Lord packing in the ladies! Pictured to the right is more my idea of fun. I am sad I missed a Maleficent themed snack, but I’m sure it was very similar to the other event cupcakes offered at Hollywood Studios.

 

Keep an eye out for Derek’s Saturday Six for more Villains Unleashed fun, because we’re heading off to Epcot! I realized that we haven’t visited Epcot since mid-July, and that is a crime! Since it’s a slow news week, I thought we’d make up for all that lost time with a massive Epcot feature. First, the obligatory Spaceship Earth photo. When I arrived at 9:30am on a Sunday morning, the wait was only 5 minutes, a good sign of the slower crowds we’ve predicted.

Spaceship Earth is one of those rides where I always post photos of the exterior but never show off the inside. As much as I miss older versions of this ride, I do still enjoy it as it exists today. Of course, maybe it’s telling that all my favorite scenes are ones that have carried over from the past. The photo on the below left makes me think of World of Motion. Anyone remember that one??

 

I finally caught a photo of the sleepy monk! It’s so dark in there that it’s almost impossible to get a decent shot! I keep hoping the ride will stop when I’m in front of him. Does anyone else play Spaceship Earth roulette? Before we ride we always take bets on which scene the ride will stop in since, for some reason, that ride stops all the time! Of course, it’s never for more than a few seconds. What’s your favorite scene in Spaceship Earth?

 

Next, I paid a visit to Nemo and his friends. Here is my favorite part of the ride:

I don’t know that I’ve taken you to The Seas with Nemo & Friends before. The reason for that is I can lose hours hanging out in here! It’s always amazing to me that inside this already incredible theme park there’s an enormous aquarium! Looking into one of the tanks, you can see a not so hidden Goofy. 

I think I took 100 pictures while enjoying my time under the sea. I saw dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, stingrays, and tons of fish. I think the star of this weekend was the manatee, though. If you haven’t been, you can view them underwater (left) and above water (right). I really wanted to get a good “above water” shot to share, but every time this guy surfaced he looked like he was blowing his nose! After 20 minutes I decided he must want that shared with the world. So where else but Best Week Ever would you get to see that?

 

Sunday morning also seems to be a maintenance day in the tanks. I saw several scuba divers in that tank cleaning and feeding animals. My favorite was the video below. I thought at first that she was feeding the fish and the manta ray was getting in the way, but the opposite was true. She’s attempting to feed the manta ray while getting mobbed by fish.

Next I stopped over by The Land because I had a FastPass+ for Soarin’. On my way I decided to switch it for Living with the Land since photos aren’t allowed on Soarin’. It wouldn’t be any fun to ride if I couldn’t take you! When I arrived the wait was only 5 minutes, and even the cast member told me I should use the FastPass+ for something else. I checked if I could switch back, but Soarin’ was unavailable and posting a 45 minute wait. The lesson here is that Living with the Land doesn’t seem to need FastPass+.

I actually got the very front row on Living with the Land and took HD video to share, but I’m having some trouble adding it to YouTube. Keep an eye out for that video in a future update. How about a little shopping next? I showed a few photos of Halloween merchandise last week, but now it has arrived everywhere. Here is a look at the display in Mouse Gear. They don’t seem to have quite as much as Magic Kingdom this year.

I also found a little bit of Duffy news in Mouse Gear! (I know he isn’t popular, but I love him!) On the left is a new Donald Duck costume that retails for $32. I think it would be really cute without the beak. On the far right is a new Duffy backpack that I haven’t seen anywhere before. The zipper compartment is on his tummy. If I didn’t know that I’d have my camera bag with me, I’d get this guy for my upcoming trip to Tokyo!

 

One last shopping update from Mouse Gear: has anyone seen this Kristoff doll before? I don’t recall ever seeing them but they are really cute! I can’t wait to see all the little girls dressed like Anna toting one of these around!

And now for a couple updates from around the World Showcase. As I predicted a while back, the new phones for Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure are taking a beating. The old phones were much more sturdy. In an effort to protect the phones, they’re now being handed out in these fashionable pouches pictured left. It’s huge! Who wants to carry that mess around? On the right you’ll see the new Duffy merchandise cart that sits just across from his meet and greet. While he’s been evicted from the store, at least you don’t have to go all the way to Mouse Gear if you’d like to pick one up. 

 

I stopped in Mexico for the below shot. When I shared video several weeks ago, it was with a standard camera, and I wanted to get a better quality image for you. Look at the colors and detail! I know this isn’t something most people will notice, but I’m completely impressed with this new projection.

My last stop in Epcot was Maelstrom. With rumors flying about its closure, I thought I’d better document this ride just in case. I arrived just at they were opening and walked right on for my first ride.

This isn’t a ride that I go out of my way to see, and I think I’d forgotten how weird it is. If you’ve never ridden, I can sum it up with: vikings, trolls, polar bears, more trolls, and oil rigs. Confused yet? My first ride through I snapped some photos with the intention of taking video on my next ride.

 

The joke was on me, though. On my second ride I was seated in the front row. I noticed the seat was very wet on the sides of the bench and thought it was lucky that I was riding my myself. Just before the gates closed a man jumped in and sat with me. The cast member tried to call him back, but he didn’t speak English. I decided to pack up my camera just in case. It ended up being a very good idea because I got SOAKED at the drop. I didn’t know you could even get that wet on Maelstrom! Below is the view just before the drop that got me!

I decided to treat myself to a snack since it was going to take me a while to dry out. Inside Kringla Bakeri og Kafe I noticed a few new Frozen treats and a little display inside the case. (You may have to click on the photos below for a larger view. They were both hard to see). The cast members seemed really enthusiastic about Frozen. They seemed genuine, and I’d like to think they’re as excited about possible changes as I am. 

 

With a ham and apple sandwich in hand, I set out to find a dry spot. I was just settling in when a squirrel flopped in kamikaze style. I don’t know if he fell or wanted some of my sandwich, but he looked absolutely stunned! Of course, I took a photo first then debated sharing with him. I know it isn’t a good idea to feed the animals, but he was so cute! I didn’t have to decide as he scuttled away without too much begging.

 

Leaving Epcot, I have one last bit of news for you. I keep forgetting to include this, but Tsum Tsums have arrived at Once Upon a Toy in Downtown Disney. If you don’t know what Tsum Tsums are, then turn away now! They’re the stars of a crazy addicting game and the cutest Disney toys I’ve seen in a while. I picked up my first ones about three weeks ago. At the time the display was full of the smaller toys. However, this weekend they were down to just the medium and large size.

 

That’s everything for this week. Now let’s see what you can expect if you’re visiting next week.

Crowd Calendar: Enjoy these lighter crowds! The next few weeks are some of the nicest all year!

Weather: It was pointed out last week that my Floridian perspective here may be a little skewed. While I’m delighted to see highs in the low 90′s, I have to remember that’s still hot to lots of people! So with that in mind, it will be hot and rainy, just not as hot and rainy as the last couple of months!

Remember: We’re heading into hurricane season. Be prepared with airline phone numbers, confirmations, and any other information you might need if your plans change.

Here’s my top tip for this week: It’s never too soon to buy tickets to Disney events! Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is already sold out for October 31. Were you looking at a popular date for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? Don’t delay getting those tickets!

Do you have any news I missed or any requests for coverage next week? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below, and thanks so much for reading! I’m wishing all of you the Best Week Ever, until next time!

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Big Changes Coming to Epcot’s World Showcase Performances

By Rikki Niblett

Bye Bye Spirit of America Fife & Drum Corps. Such a great show!

Here’s how I started my morning…I got a text from a friend telling me that something crazy was happening…a bunch of World Showcase acts were being removed. You know, those fantastic performers that you see around the promenade. I thought…no way. This has to be one of those off-the-wall rumors…it can’t be true. And then I got on Twitter…and I kept seeing the rumors with more fervor. It can’t be…

Well, now, it is official. Four different acts that perform around Epcot’s World Showcase – Off Kilter, MO’ROCKIN, the World Showcase Players, and the Spirit of America Fife & Drums Corps - will give their final performances at the end of September.

The first to leave will be the World Showcase Players. The last performance date for this comedic troupe found in the United Kingdom Pavilion will be on Thursday, September 25. They performed skits, oftentimes enlisting audience members to be a part of the fun.

Off Kilter, an extremely popular bag-pipe playing, kilt wearing, Celtic rock band that performs at the Canada Pavilion, will have its last performance on Saturday, September 27. Also ending on September 27 will be MO’ROCKIN, a musical act found in the Moroccan Pavilion, and the Spirit of America Fife & Drum Corps, a patriotic colonial marching band that performs outside of the American Adventure Pavilion.

With the departure of these acts, some new acts will be replacing them. They include a traditional Berber music and dance troupe in Morocco, a lumberjack-inspired show in Canada, a Celtic folk music ensemble at the United Kingdom Pavilion, and in the Italy Pavilion will be a new group featuring flag-waving performers, who will replace an act that closed earlier this year, the Ziti Sisters.

The new World Showcase experiences are expected to debut in the following months. I’ll keep you up to date as more information is released.

Which performers will you miss the most, and which ones are you looking forward to seeing?

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Gambling Disney Style – Disney Cruise Line Bingo

By Kristi Fredericks

Who’s ready for some gambling, Disney style? While it’s true that the Disney Cruise Line ships do not have casinos, fear not my fellow gamblers, there is still a way for us to get our fix. Disney Cruise Line bingo is a fun family activity that everyone can enjoy! I must admit, I love gambling. Now I’m not hearing my name being called by an evil slot machine or anything, but I do enjoy everything from craps to keno and bingo is no exception. I am a third generation bingo player; both my grandma and my dad are huge fans. So when I found out that I would be covering Disney Cruise Line bingo, I was beyond excited! I’ve played bingo in several places across the United States so I was very interested to compare Disney Cruise Line bingo aboard the Disney Wonder with my previous experiences. Please join me as I share my Disney Cruise Line bingo adventure with you!

Disney Cruise Line Bingo Basics

Before I reveal my experiences, here is some basic information that will be helpful if you choose to try your hand at a game of bingo on your next Disney cruise.

Pricing

When I was aboard the Disney Wonder, the prices were the same for all of the regular sessions and increased for the final jackpot session played on the last day of the cruise.

There was also a loyalty discount available during the final jackpot session for anyone who had played three or more times during the cruise.

A great deal! ©www.disneyworldenthusiast.com

When To Play

Depending on the length of the cruise, the number of bingo sessions will vary. During my seven day Disney cruise to Alaska, there were nine bingo sessions total including the final jackpot session. Each round was conveniently scheduled not to conflict with times in port, dinner seatings or shows. Typically the games at the beginning of the cruise will have fewer players and by the end of the trip, the crowds will have grown right along with the jackpot.

Special Deals

During our sailing, at the end of each session, we were given a special password to use when purchasing cards for the next bingo round to get free bonus cards. They were usually simple little phrases like “I want the goodies!”

The Rules

The rules were very simple and straightforward.

Anyone can play, but you have to be 19 or older to claim a bingo.
Keep your bingo card intact, don’t rip or tear it.
The last number called must appear in the winning pattern.

Simple Enough ©www.disneyworldenthusiast.com

The Cards

There are two types of card; electronic and paper.

The Cards ©www.disneyworldenthusiast.com

The electronic cards literally play themselves. Although there are several buttons on the devices, you do not push anything. All you do is watch the screen while it displays your best card, tells you how many you are away, when you are one away and then alerts you once you have a bingo. This is definitely the no-stress way of playing bingo and is perfect for newbies, kids and people just looking to kick back and relax while gambling.

The paper cards have tabs that you poke and fold, but you have to make sure that you don’t rip or tear your card in the process. You are also allowed to mark the card as long as you don’t make the numbers illegible. Looking back, it would have been extremely helpful to have had a highlighter to mark our paper cards.

Giveaways

During each bingo session, there were several opportunities to win random Disney swag. Everything including plush characters, pins, tote bags and on-board credits were given away. Winners were chosen randomly based on the Key to the World card that was presented when purchasing bingo cards.

A giveaway winner! ©www.disneyworldenthusiast.com

 

My Disney Cruise Line Bingo Experience

As I mentioned way back at the beginning of this post, I love bingo! I actually ended up playing six of the nine sessions of bingo offered during my Alaska cruise. Just like in my cupcake article when I sampled all of them, it was for the sake of research, right? So here’s what happened during one of my many bingo rounds…

My family and I checked our Personal Navigator to see what time bingo was being played and made the plan to arrive about 30 minutes early. We made our way through the ship to the adult lounge area. During our Alaska cruise on the Disney Wonder, all of the bingo games would be played in WaveBands.

We headed inside to find some seats and to decide which cards to purchase. There were several different card options available, but since all four us would be playing this time, we chose the family pack. For $80, we got two electronic machines each with 24 cards per game and two 6-packs of paper cards.

Once we had our cards and our seats, we quickly decided that I would play one of the electronic cards since I would be taking photos and video. My youngest son (age 8) really wanted the other electronic cards, so my other son (age 11) and husband were left to play the paper cards. Next, we checked out the beverage menu.

There were several servers working the room and when one came by our table, my sons both ordered root beers, I asked for water and my husband got his usual Johnny Walker Black. While we waited for our drinks to come and the games to begin, we took the time to get ourselves organized.

Our good luck charm; Alaskan sled dog “Claw!”

A few moments later, our beverages arrived and it was time for the bingo session to begin. First our bingo host, Drew, went over the rules and had a player come up to verify that all of the balls were there. Next, he told us that when we were one away from a bingo, we were supposed to stand up in order to alert the crew and this would have the added bonus of psyching out the other players. Lastly, Drew reminded everyone that if they were having any problems to flag down a crew member for help. Now it was time to play!

Let the games begin! ©www.disneyworldenthusiast.com

We were instructed what pattern we would be trying to get and then our bingo host started calling the numbers. Once numbers started being called the game moved very quickly. Playing electronic cards, I had no trouble keeping up, but people around me who had paper cards and were using the poke and fold method were struggling a bit. A bingo dauber, highlighter or even a crayon would have been super helpful. The caller only has to wait 10 seconds between numbers and if you happen to have the last number called on every one of your cards, well, you get the picture. As numbers are called they light up on big screens located around the room giving you a chance to catch up. But remember, the last number called has to appear in the winning pattern, so you can’t allow yourself to get too far behind.

These screens can be a blessing if you start to lag.

Now I’ve played bingo in lots of bingo halls before. Everywhere else I have played, you could hear a pin drop. Bingo was serious business and you didn’t even think about calling a bingo if you weren’t sure you had it. Not on the Disney Cruise Line; this was all about having fun. During the games, there was music played like “We Will Rock You” by Queen and the perfectly appropriate “Oh Yeah” by Yello when an O number was called. The crew even did a special dance every time B11 was drawn, because of course everyone knows (now I do) B11 in Spanish is “be once”  which sounds just like Beyoncé. The fun wasn’t just for the crew, though.  We were all instructed to shout out “Shake it up, Betty!” to the bingo machine any time we felt like we weren’t getting our numbers drawn and to tell the standers who were one away to “Sit down!” We were even told it was better to yell “Bingo!” and be bingo embarrassed than to not get our cash, so if in doubt, shout it out. The atmosphere was energetic and exciting and you could tell everyone was really enjoying it.

Everyone had a great time getting in on the action!

During our session, there were four different bingo games played with the last one being a blackout for a larger amount of money called the Snowball Jackpot. If you were able to get a blackout in 46 numbers or less, you would win the pot. If not, the game continued on for a smaller amount of money and the Snowball Jackpot would increase and roll over to the next session. The Snowball Jackpot was guaranteed to be given away during the last game at the final jackpot bingo session of the cruise. No one won the Snowball Jackpot during this bingo round, but we did see it won during the last game of the cruise. By that time, the prize had reached close to $7,000! Can you imagine winning that??

Our session continued on, alternating between bingo games and giveaways. Each game was worth anywhere between $100 and $500. On more than one occasion, we saw multiple people win and split the pot. Often when winners had to split, they were given bonus bingo cards to play during the final game of the session.

Despite not winning, my family and I had a terrific time during our first session of Disney Cruise Line bingo. So much so, that we played over half of the games available during our cruise. Everyone around us, from toddlers to seniors, joined in on the fun and helped to make the experience even that much more entertaining.

Now for you diehard bingo fans out there, I recorded a video of one bingo game. I apologize in advance for the strange railing shot at about 1:44. I got a little excited, because I was only one away. Plus the very enthusiastic boy screaming…well, he’s mine (the little guy pictured above getting really excited about being one away). By the end of cruise, he was known by the bingo crew as the loudest kid on the ship.

So have you ever played Disney Cruise Line bingo? Did you win and want to share? Please leave a comment!

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Disney Cruise Line Skagway, Alaska Train Excursions: Compare/Contrast

By Erin Foster

Touring Plans blogger Kristi Fredericks recently compared our dog sled excursions on a Disney Cruise Line voyage to Alaska. We’re back with another round of Alaska Port Adventure comparisons, this time we’re looking at two train related excursions in the port of Skagway, Alaska. Kristi took the White Pass Railway and Trail Camp trip, while I took the All Aboard Steam Train tour. Here’s the scoop…

WHITE PASS RAILWAY AND TRAIL CAMP

Price: $168 for guests 10 years old and above, $85 for children three to nine years old and free for children two years old and younger.
Price add ons: There is an opportunity to purchase souvenirs at the Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp.
Time requirement: The total excursion time is about 4.5 to 5 hours.
Physical issues: This excursion is both wheelchair and stroller accessible. Both must be collapsible. Guests must be able to walk on gravel to transfer to the train and motor coach.
Age limits: None.
Other important details: Passports are required for all guests, because this Port Adventure crosses into Canada.

Kristi’s experience with White Pass Railway and Trail Camp:

We started our Port Adventure by showing our passports before climbing on a large motor coach for a quick 5 minute ride to the train station. Once we arrived, we boarded a vintage rail car and were given a magazine filled with information about the White Pass and Yukon Route. This complimentary booklet also included a map detailing the route we would be taking that day. We found some seats and browsed through the magazine while we waited for our adventure to begin.

Moments later, the train set off on its approximately 90 minute journey to Fraser, British Columbia. Along the way, we were provided detailed narration on what we were seeing out the windows. Word of warning: A fair amount of the information was grim as we passed cemeteries, burial markers and other assorted places where people and animals lost their lives during the Gold Rush. The scenery, however, was spectacular and there were ample photo taking opportunities. Passengers were even given the chance to walk out on the platforms connecting the rail cars for more amazing views. My family and I jumped at this good fortune! I would only recommend this for older children, because small or rambunctious kids could easily fall. People with a tendency to become motion-sick might want to skip the outdoor viewing as well, because the sensations of motion and speed greatly increase when outside on the train. The 90 minutes passed swiftly and in no time we were at the train station in Fraser sitting patiently as Border Patrol checked everyone’s passports. Once we were cleared, it was off the train and on another motor coach for our trip to the trail camp. For the next 35 minutes, we traveled down the Klondike Highway taking in more beautiful sights. As you can imagine, a lot of our fellow adventurers were growing tired and several of them took this opportunity to take a quick nap. By the time we reached the Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp, the majority of the passengers on our bus were asleep.

We all groggily dragged ourselves off the bus and walked the dirt path to Liarsville. This trail camp was named after journalists that were sent to Alaska and cooked up tall tales from this location during the Klondike Gold Rush. When reading about this portion of the Port Adventure on the Disney Cruise Line website, I was really looking forward to it. I was promised the opportunity to explore the camp, have cookies and cider, see a “hilarious melodrama” and learn the “art of gold panning.” Unfortunately, Liarsville fell flat for me and my family. We were moved through the area quickly with no time to explore the buildings except from the outside. The cookies were store-bought and the cider was way too hot for kids to drink. The “hilarious melodrama” which I was envisioning to be like Hoop-De-Doo Revue was instead a morbid and gruesome rendition of the Robert W. Service poem, The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill, which tells the story of a prospector who freezes to death. Spoiler Alert: Poor Blasphemous Bill won’t fit in his casket, because he has frozen spread eagle and ultimately has to have his arms and legs cut off to be placed inside. Although, the poem was presented in a funny and sarcastic manner, my boys (ages 8 and 11) were not amused! Finally, we were each given a pre-made pan that contained a couple gold flakes, to try our hand at gold panning in a small trough, before quickly being shuttled to our awaiting bus. After another, speedy 5 minute ride on the motor coach, we were back at the train station and our excursion was complete.

Overall, my family and I truly enjoyed the train portion of this Port Adventure. Ninety minutes seemed just the right amount of time to experience the ride and the scenery. However, if we had it to do over, we would pass on the Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp portion of the excursion. That being said, for the right audience (adults and older teens), the trail camp could be a great fit.

Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp Caboose ©www.disneyworldenthusiast.com

View from the Platform ©www.disneyworldenthusiast.com

View of the Train ©www.disneyworldenthusiast.com

Train Rail Car ©www.disneyworldenthusiast.com

Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp Gold Panning ©www.disneyworldenthusiast.com

Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp Melodrama ©www.disneyworldenthusiast.com

Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp Souvenir Shop ©www.disneyworldenthusiast.com

Route Map ©www.disneyworldenthusiast.com

 

ALL ABOARD STEAM TRAIN TOUR

Price: $214 (ages 10 and up), $109 (ages 3-9), children under age three are free.
Price add ons: There is an opportunity to buy a DVD about the Yukon area and a White Pass rail hat. The cost was about $20 each, cash.
Time requirement: 3.5 to 4 hours.
Physical issues: Wheelchairs and ECVs are not permitted. Guest must climb three steep stairs to board the train. Movement of the train may impact guests with motion sickness issues.
Age limits: none.
Other important details: Passports are required for all guests, because this Port Adventure crosses into Canada.

Erin’s experience with the All Aboard Steam Train Tour:

My train tour had many areas of commonality with Kristi’s. We were also on the White Pass & Yukon Line (the only game in town), but our journey was on a vintage steam train with period cars rather than the slightly more modern cars with which most of the other trains were fitted. Our excursion started right at the port dock. If the timing is right, your train may pull directly up to the ship’s mooring, as ours did.

The entirety of our excursion was the train ride. We had about 90+ minutes on the way up to Fraser, British Columbia, and then 90+ minutes back over the same tracks, with the exact same view. The only break in the trip occurred at Fraser, where the train stopped for about 10 minutes to take on water (for the steam). We were not allowed to disembark, but our guide did offer us packaged Milano cookies and a glass of champagne or sparkling water for a mid-trip toast.

Our guide happened to be an entertaining story teller. But I missed much of what he said because I choose to take photos from the platform at the rear of our train car. The car’s windows do not open, so I found there was lots of glare when I tried to take photos from inside the train. The platforms are small and, as Kristi mentioned, somewhat dangerous. Our group had about half a dozen people jockeying for position at the rail, which ended up being quite stressful.

I found the scenery to be lovely, but there was no big “WOW” factor for me. We didn’t see anything on this train trip that you wouldn’t see on any other auto or rail trip in a mountainous area. I will say that I grew up in a Northern rural lakes area, so similar sights are familiar to me. If you haven’t had much experience in this type of country, you might be more impressed. Since this was an out-and-back trip, we saw everything twice, which, to me, was somewhat monotonous. As with Kristi’s excursion, many guests napped during the ride “home.” By the end, even our guide seemed to run out of steam and mostly remained quiet to help people sleep. There were a few small kids on my train trip and they were mostly baffled by the complete lack of anything to do on the train other than look out the window.

For me, paying $200 to take a nap on a train, when I could take one on a boat for no additional charge, seems a little silly. While Kristi didn’t have great luck at the Mining Camp, I find myself a little jealous of her experience because at least there were a variety of activities to break up the Port Adventure.

The train pulls right up to the dock.

The outdoor platforms hold just a few people safely.

Typical scenery. (Also known as “There doesn’t seem to be any track.”)

Nice view from the train car platform.

Champagne toast at the turn around point.

Passing the US/Canada border.

You can see many types of train cars just walking near town.

OVERALL

When you chat with shop keepers in Skagway, most of them will ask you if you’re taking a train trip. The train is the town’s pride and joy and many of the excursions offered in Skagway have a train component. The trains themselves are beautiful, but you can see many of them in town without going on an excursion. You can also learn about much of the train history that the guides present by visiting the White Pass & Yukon office at the edge of town, less than a 10 minute walk from the ship.

If you absolutely love trains, or if you’re longing to look at some forested areas, then you’ll likely enjoy the White Pass & Yukon line. If you want to be active in the outdoors, choose an excursion which pairs the train with a more participatory event.

Have you taken a train trip in Skagway? What were your impressions? Let us know in the comments below.

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Using Disneyland Touring Plans and the Lines App

By Natalie Reinert

I was determined to avoid lines at Disneyland as much as I do at Walt Disney World. Serious planning was needed.

As a Disney World veteran, there are two things I don’t bother with much anymore: park maps, and extensive planning. I know where everything is, I know when I want to see it, and I know how long I am willing to wait for things (about twenty minutes, generally). I think at this point my feet carry me from place to place without my brain directing them.

But for our first (of many, we hope!) Disneyland Resort trips, I knew that I needed to do some extra planning. Standing around with my face in a park map, trying to figure out where to go next, was simply not an option. I don’t even carry a bag in the park, let alone a map. But I needed a plan to get my family around Disneyland and Disney California Adventure without wandering aimlessly and getting caught in long queues. And, just in case of attraction breakdowns or unexpectedly long wait times, I needed the ability to make an on-the-spot back-up plan. How could I manage that in a park I’d never been before?

Enter personalized plans from TouringPlans.com, and the Lines App.

After a lot of reading, and studying the Disneyland touring plans in the back of The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2014, I knew the kind of park days that I wanted–two days at Disneyland, early starts each morning, out of the park after lunch, back for evening fun after a resort break. I wanted the same at Disney California Adventure, but thanks to fewer must-do attractions on our list, I wasn’t quite so keen on power-planning those days. For Disneyland, there was a very long list that had to be fit in, and during high season at that.

A sample from our second-day touring plan on the Lines app.

I decided to take a Two Day Touring Plan and modify it using the personalized touring plan option on TouringPlans.com, allowing for personal choices: for example, I wanted all the Fantasyland dark rides first and Peter Pan’s Flight first of all, no arguments, and I wanted a little bit less criss-crossing of the park than the printed plan, so that we could immerse ourselves in the feel of each land a little better.

The plans automatically showed up in the mobile app, Lines, so I had them with me at all times. We could tumble out of an attraction, look around at the blur of people and buildings around us and say “what’s next?” and I would just pull out my phone and see. I also took an iPhone picture of the printed plan in the back of The Unofficial Guide for quick reference in case my plan fell through, or if I needed a quick map to orient myself.

It might sound like micro-management, but in fact, the plan kept us from leaving seemingly obvious things out, kept us from rushing, and kept me from stressing out that I might miss something. The touring plan was a constant reminder of what attractions were nearby, and which we hadn’t experienced yet.

Just imagine: you are standing in the center of Fantasyland at six o’clock one summer evening, the calliope tinkling and the crowds swirling around you, and trying to remember your carefully-thought-out plans you made at your kitchen table one quiet evening two weeks before — if you can do it, you have a better memory than me. I nearly forgot to do Casey Jr. Circus Train about ten times, and it was right in front of us every time we walked through Fantasyland. Luckily, it showed up on my second-day plans, and not only did we get to ride one of the best little trains anywhere, we got to ride in the monkey cages!

Reported wait times from in-park guests using the Lines App. There is also a wait time forecast.

The back-up plan came in the form of the Lines App’s crowd-sourced and estimated wait times. Lines App users can send in updates on wait times, including posted vs. actual waits, plus there are forecasts for wait times based on historical data. I used the Lines App at Walt Disney World last fall with great success, navigating Columbus Day and Food & Wine Festival crowds without a single FastPass+ reservation. Our longest wait that trip was 30 minutes for Test Track — I watched the wait times throughout the afternoon and when it finally dropped below 45 minutes, we sprinted over and jumped in the queue. It was back to an hour by the time we were finished, and strolling over to World Showcase for more munchies.

I didn’t find the Lines App to be as consistently updated at Disneyland as it was at WDW, but that could easily have been the time of year, since high summer isn’t the best time for passholders to visit. But it was still a huge help when something went awry with our touring plan, such as an attraction malfunction at Alice in Wonderland. Before we had even ducked out of the queue, we had a new destination lined up. The historical data gave us an idea of what to watch out for throughout the day — if a line looked long now, would it be ten times worse later? — and helped us make a few on-the-spot decisions.

The Lines app was also the source on our evenings, when we were navigating much more busy parks, and on our second days in each park, when we were mainly trying to catch favorite attractions one more time. It saved a lot of unnecessary walking to far-flung corners of the parks — “Splash Mountain has how long a wait? Let’s stay in Tomorrowland, thanks.”

Between the optimized touring plan that I created with Touring Plans, and the Lines App’s reported wait times and forecasts, we had a nearly flawless Disneyland vacation. We never waited in line for anything longer than thirty minutes (Toy Story Midway Mania, once, and Pirates of the Caribbean, once) and checked off nearly everything on my extremely long must-do list. If we didn’t do something on the list, it was because it was closed during our days in the parks (the Sailing Ship Columbia, Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes). And we also managed to spend an extraordinary amount of time relaxing by the pool or gazing at the sights over a martini. All in all, the perfect vacation.

If you’re planning a trip to Disneyland or Walt Disney World and you’re just not certain about how to fit in everything on your list, the touring plan combined with the Lines App is a great tool. Having all of your information stored in one place, for easy reminders of where to go next, can save even a theme park veteran from missing out on something in the midst of a busy day. And even if I’m just wandering the park on a quiet day, I don’t do it without my Lines App. I really, really, don’t do long lines!

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Animal Kingdom Touring: How a Touring Plan Can Help

By Trista VanderVoord

I have grown to love all of the parks at Disney World, but the one that took me the longest to befriend was Animal Kingdom. It’s not that I don’t love the theme (what’s not to love about animals?). It’s not that I don’t love the attractions (Kilimanjaro Safaris and Finding Nemo the Musical are two of the best things at any park, in my opinion.) It’s that I’m always feeling the pressure of the time schedule.

I just love the gorillas along the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, one of my favorite YOPAs.

Animal Kingdom is made up of three types of attractions. The first (and most prevalent) is Your Own Pace Attractions (let’s call these YOPA, just for fun). These are experiences that take varied amounts of time, depending on your pace and interest level. The YOPA list is long:

The Oasis Exhibits
Discovery Island Trails
The Tree of Life (just checking out a portion of the animal carvings is a must-do)
Cretaceous Trail
The Boneyard
Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
Affection Section
Conservaton Station
Maharajah Jungle Trek

 

The mighty lion is one of the featured animals on Kilimanjaro Safaris, one of the TAs at Animal Kingdom.

The second type of attraction is the Traditional Attraction (these we will call TA). These attractions have a queue, and take an exact amount of time to complete. The TAs are:

It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
DINOSAUR
Primeval Whirl
TriceraTop Spin
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Kali River Rapids
Expedition Everest

 

Flights of Wonder is a fun and educational show about birds. The SAs can only be seen at certain scheduled times throughout the day.

The third type of attraction is the Scheduled Attractions (SA). These are shows that only occur at certain times of the day, where the doors close if you aren’t there in time. The SAs (with current show times):

Finding Nemo – the Musical (11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 3:00, 4:00, 6:00)
Winged Encounters – The Kingdom Takes Flight (9:15, 10:15, 1:00, 2:00)
Festival of the Lion King (10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 6:00)
Flights of Wonder (10:45, 11:45, 1:45, 2:45, 3:45, 4:45)
The parade that will replace the Jammin’ Jungle Parade eventually

With the advent of FastPass+, it’s important to note that many of the Traditional Attractions can essentially become Scheduled Attractions once you apply a FastPass+ reservation (luckily, these attractions have a one hour window and not a specific start time, giving a bit more wiggle room in the schedule). FastPass+ has made it possible to have 5 SAs and 3 TAs (with FastPass+) on your to-do list, totaling 8 scheduled items throughout the day. That’s a lot to juggle in a park that’s open only 9 hours on most days! Sprinkle in a fair number of YOPAs taking up ambiguous amounts of time and voila, time pressure. What is there to do but sit on a curb feeling hopeless about missing some of the favorites of Animal Kingdom? Well never fear, touring plans are here to manage some of the time traps that are found in Animal Kingdom.

Not familiar with what touring plans are? Read up here. And with a subscription to TouringPlans.com, you have access to a lot of premium touring plans that you can personalize and optimize based on your own preferences. With 12 pre-designed Animal Kingdom touring plans to start with, most of the work has been done for you. Neato!

So what are these time traps, and how can a touring plan help?

Time trap 1: Travel Time. I don’t know about you, but I tend to think everything is about 5 minutes from everything else as a general rule – boy, am I wrong when it comes to Animal Kingdom. While only inches apart on the park map, it takes about 13 minutes to travel from Festival of the Lion King to DINOSAUR walking a moderate pace (and even on the lightest crowd days Animal Kingdom always feels crowded, so expect to be weaving in and out of people if you are walking at even an average pace). An even bigger travel time is heading to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. The Wildlife Express Train from Africa to Rafiki’s Planet Watch takes about 12 minutes including wait time, plus add a 5 minute walk to get to the Conservation Station. That’s an additional 17 minutes in travel time to see those sweet baby animals (not to mention the 17 minutes to return to Africa). TouringPlans includes these travel times in the touring plan schedule, times which would be easy to underestimate if trying to plan on the fly. And your personalized touring plan even calculates the travel times based on your walking speed (from “very relaxed” to “fast”). Now that’s a cool feature. (Incidentally, the 13 minute walk from Festival of the Lion King to DINOSAUR jumps to 22 minutes when walking at a “very relaxed” speed).

Time trap 2: Wait Times. Whether you are in the standby line or the FastPass+ line for the Traditional Attractions, there is some amount of time spent waiting in line. Even first thing after park opening, you can wait ten minutes in the standby line at some of the more popular attractions (DINOSAUR, Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids), and by later in the afternoon wait times can triple (or more). TouringPlans calculates estimated wait times with great accuracy (predicting crowd levels for specific dates and times, using lots and lots of statistical data). A touring plan can give you a clear picture of where in your schedule these attractions with wait times will fit (so that you can make it to the Scheduled Attractions on time). Using the Lines App, you can even see up-to-the-minute wait times while in the park so you can change your plan on the fly if necessary.

Time trap 3: Your Own Pace Attractions. The YOPAs are a bit of a conundrum in trying to manage your time at Animal Kingdom. When you approach the entrance to one of these, it is difficult to estimate how long it will take to experience the attraction to your heart’s desire. Usually, you can’t even see the whole attraction to know how big it is. TouringPlans has done their homework here, too, factoring in an average expected time for the YOPAs in their touring plans. I usually find that my family tours these attractions at about the expected pace, being surprised only once or twice when we take longer (my family always seems to get sucked into the gorillas on the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, and the 20 minutes that is included in our touring plan isn’t long enough for us there). If there is a YOPA that I know we love, I will add two occurrences of the attraction back to back in my personalized touring plan to accomodate.

Time trap 4: Wilderness Explorer Badges. I loved the movie Up, and seeing the addition of Wilderness Explorer experiences at Animal Kingdom made perfect sense to me. Across the park, there are over 30 Wilderness Explorer badges that can be earned. I generally don’t set out with a plan to earn certain Wilderness Explorer badges, but I will include one or two timeslots in my touring plan through the day, so that when we stumble upon one that interests us we have time for it in the plan. TouringPlans allows a generous 25 minutes to earn a couple badges. (Any leftover time can be spent admiring Divine.)

As you can see, there are a few time traps at Animal Kingdom that can be a challenge for touring. It is all-too-easy to miss out on the Scheduled Attractions just by losing track of time or miscalculating travel or wait times. Without a touring plan, you might be boarding a vehicle at Kilimanjaro Safaris at 2:30, thinking “I’ll do the safari really quickly and then hop over to the 3:00 showing of Finding Nemo – the Musical,” but you’d be sadly disappointed. The 20 minute safari and the 13 minute walk will mean you’re already 3 minutes late for the incredible spectacle that is Finding Nemo the Musical. Using a touring plan keeps you on track and mindful of the time so you can catch all the attractions that make Animal Kingdom unique.

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Trip Planning Dashboard Now Includes Parks You’re Visiting Each Day

By Sarah Kelleth

Those of you who are subscribers know we’ve recently introduced a new trip planning dashboard, and today we’re releasing the next iteration – adding parks to specific days in your trip, and integrating trips with our main crowd calendar. Here’s what the new features look like.

When you login to your dashboard, you’ll see that your trips now have the option to add parks to specific days. You can click on the link for the day you want to choose parks for (highlighted in orange in the picture above) to go to that day’s crowd calendar, including information about park hours and special events. There you can pick one or more parks to visit that day.

Parks you select will show up on your dashboard as you see above with their crowd levels. We’ll try to guess which parks you’ll visit based on the touring plans you already have for that day, or you can just select the ones you’re interested in (especially handy if you’re not using a plan or haven’t quite decided what you’re doing yet).

Want to take a look at the big picture? Now the main crowd calendar page will highlight your trips and scroll directly to your next trip dates, turning the crowd levels for the parks you plan to visit green to easily scan. It will also display the name (or names if your trip dates overlap) of your trips in the notes for each day.

All these changes work with all three of our trip-enabled properties (WDW, DLR and UOR), and are available now to all subscribers. Let us know what you think so far and stay tuned – more trip planning goodness is, well…planned.

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IllumiNations Cruise: A View Worth Every Penny

By Amy Farkas

Epcot lights up the sky. Photo by Disney

If you are one of the unfortunate ones to never have experienced IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth before, you have really been missing out. IllumiNations is the story of our Earth’s history, its present, and the hope for its future, showcasing people, flora, and fauna. This fireworks, laser, and video show will be the culmination of your extraordinary day at Epcot. After visiting Future World and then stuffing yourself with wonderful delectables throughout the many countries around World Showcase, find a seat or standing area around the Lagoon and be prepared to experience pyrotechnic greatness.

The only downside to IllumiNations is that I sometimes find it a waste of good Disney time to be camping out around the World Showcase hours before the nightly showing to get a prime viewing location. If this has ever crossed your mind or if you are just looking for that over the top experience, perhaps to celebrate a wedding, birthday, or anniversary, then you should try an IllumiNations Cruise.

Offered nightly, the IllumiNations Cruise offers premier up close viewing of the IllumiNations spectacle from the comfort of your own pontoon boat. The cruise begins at the Yacht and Beach Club Marina about 30-40 minutes prior to the start of IllumiNations at Epcot. I suggest arriving a little before that in order to give yourself enough time to meet the rest of your party, check in at the stand, and make final payment. Once on board, your Captain will entertain your party with Disney trivia and knowledge while he takes you on a cruise of Crescent Lake past the Swan and Dolphin, looping past Hollywood Studios, back by BoardWalk and the Yacht and Beach Club, and ending under the International Gateway at Epcot facing the World Showcase Lagoon just in time for the start of IllumiNations.

Entering International Gateway.

While on board you can help yourself to beverages such as water and sodas, as well as bagged snacks such as pretzels, popcorn, and chips. You can opt to upgrade your cruise to more of a private dining experience where items such as light appetizers, birthday cake, or champagne and strawberries are provided instead. To do this, however, you need to contact the Yacht and Beach Club at 407-939-3160 in advance. You may not bring your own food and drink aboard. You may also upgrade your cruise to a Celebration Package, which can include balloons and a banner for example. Arrangements should be made at the time of booking for this.

 

Price

At this point you may be asking the price. The IllumiNations Cruise costs $325.00, and although you are told there are no discounts at the time of booking, if you are a DVC member you get a 10%-20% discount at the window when you pay. Each pontoon boat can hold a party of 10; however, you are not required to have that many to book. You are asked for your party size to determine the number of snacks and lifejackets needed. You may call later and add on to your party if you find more people to join you. Children and adults are both welcome on the cruise.

If you and your spouse would like to take an IllumiNations Cruise but really do not want to spend the $325 to do so, there are forums online where people may make arrangements to fill the rest of their party of 10 with others who agree to split the cost with them. You can gamble, like we successfully did, that someone else will post they have spots available on a night you wish to cruise, or you can be the ones who reserves the IllumiNations Cruise and looks for other passengers to join you.

In our case, we found a party of four that was looking to fill the rest of their boat. We made contact, and both parties agreed. Because another couple could not be found, there were only 6 passengers on our cruise. But instead of spending the $325, we only had to spend $98 (plus tip for the Captain), which was a great savings! And the bonus? We made some new Disney friends, who we continue to keep in contact with.

Making Reservations

If you have interest in an IllumiNations Cruise book as soon as the booking window opens, 180 days in advance, by calling 407-WDW-PLAY and giving a credit card as a guarantee. There are only 4 boats, and they fill up rather quickly.

To see what others are saying about the IllumiNations Cruise, visit http://forum.touringplans.com/ and search in the Walt Disney World Other section for IllumiNations.

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Fair Trade and Eco Friendly Souvenirs at Walt Disney World

By Julia Mascardo

Recently, a TouringPlans user asked for suggestions about where to find eco friendly or fair trade souvenirs at Walt Disney World. Although Walt Disney World does frequently issue statements about their corporate culture of environmental awareness and ethical trade practices, finding souvenirs that are clearly eco friendly or fair trade does take a bit of looking.

As I shopped, three common themes I found were:

If you are trying to find non-mass produced, fair trade, and/or eco friendly souvenirs, you can almost always skip the larger shopping locations (The Emporium, Mouse Gear, World of Disney).
If you want something that has a Disney character or says Walt Disney World, you will have a lot of challenges finding anything that meets these standards.
When talking with different people about what they consider to be eco friendly or “ethical souvenirs”, there is a lot of variation to what people find acceptable.

With those in mind, and with the third point being a disclaimer that you should always buy (or choose not to buy) based on your own personal comfort levels, here’s some items that I found.

Animal Kingdom

It should come as no surprise that Animal Kingdom has the most items for sale that fit into this category. Throughout many of the shops at Animal Kingdom, there were a few offerings including animals fashioned from recycled cans by a master craftsman in Africa, fuzzy beaded necklaces made through the Fair Trade Federation (with a portion of the proceeds supporting a school in Kathmandu, Nepal), and bamboo and coconut shell wind chimes made in Bali.

Bamboo wind chimes found in Asia at Animal Kingdom. (Photo by Julia Mascardo)

Although not marked specifically as fair trade or eco friendly, Animal Kingdom does offer a lot of beautiful carved wood artwork and painted ostrich eggs as well.

From time to time, Disney does sell bags made from recycled materials. Currently at Animal Kingdom you can find Eco-Mochila bags and bracelets, made by hand in Columbia from recycled plastic bags.

Probably the most unusual product I found were small notebooks made from elephant “leftovers”. According to the product’s tag:

Elephants eat lots of grass everyday and they poo almost as much. Since their digestive systems don’t really break down the grass all that well, their poo has plenty of fiber. Seeing as those grass is fiber and fiber is the base material used in making pulp for paper, well, we figured Elephant Poo would be a great alternative fiber source for making our paper products.

Well, I guess it goes for saying that Disney has something for everyone…

Epcot

Lots of hidden treasures can be found wandering around World Showcase in the different countries, however the item that really stood out to me isn’t found in a country. Back in the African Outpost area between China and Germany, there is a kiosk called Bead Outpost. Here you can find myriad beads made of compressed paper. According to the signs there:

Disney guide maps and other outdated Disney paper products are collected here at Walt Disney World. Hand selected, colorful papers are then recycled by being shipped to Africa where they are hand rolled into unique beads. Each bead represents the care and craftsmanship of its artist. The extremely durable, water resistant paper beads are then returned to Walt Disney World where guests can choose their own beads and string their own works of art.

Beads made from recycled Disney paper goods are available at Epcot’s Bead Outpost. (Photo by Julia Mascardo)

In Future World, many of the souvenirs are similar to what you would find elsewhere on property. One exception is found in the small  gift shop located across from Soarin’. Here you can find some gardening-themed gifts, and my favorite, the Mickey’s Mini Garden plants for sale. This is a great option for a Disney-themed souvenir with an environmental motif.

 

Mickey’s Mini Garden, available at The Land in Epcot (photo by Julia Mascardo).

 

Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios

By far, the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios offer the least selection for eco friendly and fair trade souvenirs. From time to time, both parks have offered t-shirst made from organic cotton, however finding these is hit or miss.

One of my favorite souvenirs from all the parks, including Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, are the pressed pennies that can be made at machines around property. Even better, at 51 cents per pressed penny, they aren’t hard on the budget either!

If you take the definition of eco friendly to include glass, which is infinitely recyclable, you can find beautiful glass souvenirs from Arribas Brothers.

But overall, if you are determined to find eco friendly and/or fair trade souvenirs, you can largely skip Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Downtown Disney

When it comes to shopping, Downtown Disney has more items for sale than any other single location on property. There are some unique offerings available here as well.

I am a fan of the products at Basin, which can be found next to World of Disney, and Basin White, which is located at the Grand Floridian. With soaps and other products made that are not tested on animals and free of paragons, mineral oil, and alcohol, I can always find a little special something when I shop. A favorite in our household is the Mickey soap slices, available in a variety of scents and colors.

Mickey soap from Basin (photo by Julia Mascardo)

In Mickey’s Pantry, located in the same building as Earl of Sandwich, there are a variety of spices and teas for sale. Although none of them are expressly marked fair trade, I like buying gifts like this as they are something people can use instead of adding to household clutter. While I was window shopping, I did find a lovely eco friendly gift hidden back in a corner: candles poured in holders that are actually the cut-off ends of old wine bottles!

When it comes to souvenirs, it is up to the individual to find what fits their personal ethics and budget. However, as I frequently remind people, by far, my favorite souvenir is the one that doesn’t come from stores: the memories that you make with friends and family.

But in case you still are looking for a few more ideas, here are some products that I found in my travels.

Spices, herbs, and teas available at Mickey’s Pantry (Photo by Julia Mascardo)

Painted ostrich eggs (photo by Julia Mascardo)

Paper made with “help” from elephants (Photo by Julia Mascardo)

Mochila bags, handmade in Columbia from plastic bags. (Photo by Julia Mascardo)

Candles poured into old wine bottles, available at Mickey’s Pantry (Photo by Julia Mascardo)

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Fair Trade and Eco Friendly Souvenirs at Walt Disney World is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.