Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1199
August 13, 2014
Memory Maker Now Captures On-Ride Video of Tower of Terror
©Disney
Have you ever ridden an attraction and wished that you could see your videotaped reaction of the experience? Well, now that’s a possibility at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
You see, for the first time ever at a Walt Disney World attraction, guests who have purchased the Memory Maker photo package will be able to view and share their on-ride video from this thrilling attraction. The MyMagic+ technology has made it possible for guests who have both a MagicBand and an active Memory Maker photo package to receive an edited video of their experience on the attraction in their My Disney Experience accounts within 24 hours of riding it. This video can be seen and shared by any family or friend who you are linked to through your My Disney Experience account.
Keep in mind that you must have purchased the Memory Maker package for the video to show up in your My Disney Experience account. While having a MagicBand is essential in the video being uploaded automatically (thanks to the RFID technology found inside the MagicBand), guests who simply have a MagicBand but have no Memory Maker packaged linked to their accounts will not have the on-ride video uploaded to My Disney Experience.
Disney also released a sample on-ride video.
I suspect this is just the tip of the iceberg and additional on-ride videos will be coming down the pipeline in the near future.
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Memory Maker Now Captures On-Ride Video of Tower of Terror 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 – August 3 to August 10, 2014
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Crowds continue to be consistent, above average and predictable this summer. Our predictions have performed very well with none missing by more than two index levels all week and most within one. Pirates of the Caribbean did see some suspiciously higher than expected wait times on some days which may indicate that the reduced capacity is having an impact although it is still too soon to tell.
Let’s look at how the crowd levels stacked up each day last week:
Walt Disney World Resort Crowd Levels – Daily Breakdown
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
6
5
Crowds were ‘5’s and ‘6’s across the resort on Sunday with wait times remaining within 10 minutes of average. Toy Story Mania averaged 79 minutes, exactly 10 minutes higher than our prediction.
Epcot
5
6
Hollywood Studios
6
6
Animal Kingdom
5
5
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
7
8
Great results again on Monday with only the Studios missing by more than one index level, due to higher than expected wait times at Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster (71 minutes, predicted 56) and Toy Story Mania (85 minutes, predicted 69). Still, Tower of Terror came in lower than expected at 55 minutes (predicted 67).
Epcot
7
7
Hollywood Studios
7
9
Animal Kingdom
7
7
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
7
8
Again on Tuesday all our predictions stayed within one index level of what we observed. Epcot hit a level ’10’ on our scale for the first time since July 4th including a 103-minute average posted time at Test Track.
Epcot
9
10
Hollywood Studios
7
8
Animal Kingdom
8
8
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
8
8
Crowds were up on Wednesday. Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Spaceship Earth, Toy Story Mania, Great Movie Ride, Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids and Kilimanjaro Safaris all hit a level ’10’ on our scale.
Epcot
6
8
Hollywood Studios
7
8
Animal Kingdom
7
9
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
8
8
Level ‘8’ all around except for Animal Kingdom. Predictions all did well. At Magic Kingdom we were within 2 minutes for Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion and Winnie the Pooh.
Epcot
8
8
Hollywood Studios
7
8
Animal Kingdom
7
7
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
8
7
Friday saw more ‘8’s and ‘9’s with Animal Kingdom coming in lower again. Attraction level predictions continued to be good including predictions for Rock ’n’ Roller Coster, Star Tours, Kali River Rapids and Expedition Everest that missed by no more than 3 minutes.
Epcot
8
9
Hollywood Studios
7
8
Animal Kingdom
5
6
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
5
7
Only Magic Kingdom surprised us Saturday. Biggest contributors were Buzz Lightyear (43 minutes, predicted 33), Pirates of the Caribbean (44 minutes, predicted 28) and Haunted Mansion (32 minutes, predicted 27).
Epcot
4
4
Hollywood Studios
6
7
Animal Kingdom
4
4
What to Expect This Week
August 10 to 16, 2014
How Crowded is Disney World?
Expect busy summer crowds for another 10 days or so, then a slow decline as we approach September. Park hours remain extended for the summer season so touring can be pleasant despite the larger crowds. Just make sure to take a midday break during the hottest and busiest time of the day.
To see Walt Disney World Crowd predictions for the days of your vacation, check the Crowd Calendar.
To get details about our predictions of future crowds or details about crowds in the past check out the Crowd Calendar and select “Jump to Date” on the left margin.
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Disney World Crowd Report – August 3 to August 10, 2014 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Hitting the Trail: Taking on the Disney World Walking Paths
I know what you’re thinking. Why would anyone want to take a walking path when it seems like all you do at Walt Disney World is walk? Well, just hear me out, I do have a few good reasons! You see, walking paths allow you two big luxuries that are hard to come by at Disney World: no lines or crowds and the ability to make your own time.
Hollywood Studios Walking Path to the BoardWalk
Nobody likes fighting the long lines for buses, boats, and monorails, especially at closing time. It’s not unusual to have to wait for several of your own resort buses to fill up before you can board yourself following Magic Kingdom’s Wishes, which is hard to bear when your feet hurt and the kids are crying, right? Although, there can be lines or standing room only on buses, boats, and Monorail during the day too. However, the walking paths are never crowded, offering you and yours a reprieve from the shuffling lines and seas of strollers. Also, many are in open, beautiful settings that are well-lit, paved, and serve as great decompression zones from all the hustle and bustle.
But the lack of chaos isn’t the only reason to take on a walking path. Guests who have visited Disney World before know that getting from one place to another can be time consuming! Disney even recommends those with dining reservations to allow at least an hour for transportation time. Why? Well, for example, if you were to have a reservation at one of Epcot’s World Showcase restaurants, a lot of time can be wasted in waiting for transportation, actual travel time, going through security and the turnstiles, and then actually walking across the park to your restaurant. Whew! That can really take awhile and there are a lot of variables to contend with! That’s why, when I can, I prefer to take a walking path so that I can make my own time without checking my watch in nervous frustration for the umpteenth time at a resort bus stop.
View of Tower of Terror from Walking Path
So if you can relate to my complaints and if I have piqued your interest, you should know that there are several paths around the Disney World Resort, but one that I use often when on property is the path from Hollywood Studios to the BoardWalk Inn Resort. It can be hard to find, but all you have to do is follow the sidewalk running parallel to the Hollywood Studios bus stops along the water. The sidewalk will branch off (as pictured above) and then all you have to do is follow it straight to the BoardWalk or the Swan and Dolphin. This path is .9 miles to the BoardWalk Inn Resort and typically takes around 15 to 20 minutes to walk, but it’s well lit and you may just catch a glimpse of some of the wildlife, plus a unique view of the Tower of Terror!
Another one of my favorite walking paths can be found between Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. This particular path will make you forget that you’re in Central Florida with all of the pine trees and thick foliage. I’ve even seen a deer or two and some wild turkeys here in the past! Walking this shady path usually takes about twenty minutes, is 0.75 of a mile, and is truly a great way to escape for awhile. Plus, the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge Resort is truly incredible and Trail’s End at Fort Wilderness is one of my favorite places for a home-cooked style meal, both of which are worth walking a ways for.
View of the Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain from Walking Path
Looking to do a little resort hopping? If so, there’s a great path connecting the Transportation and Ticket Center to the Polynesian Resort to the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa! The path will take you through the Polynesian’s lush, tropical grounds, next to the sandy beaches on Seven Seas Lagoon, and right in front of the Grand Floridian Wedding Pavilion and Franck’s Bridal Studio Plus, as you walk, you can catch views of the other resorts and the Magic Kingdom across the water. The path is exactly a mile each way and the walk itself is smooth and even, great for a relaxing stroll.
During my last trip, I discovered the walking path between Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Downtown Disney. Congress Park is the section of Saratoga Springs that’s closest to Downtown Disney and it has a path that takes you right to the Marketplace. I personally used the path in the morning for a Starbucks fix. It was a great way to start the day and the path only took a few minutes to walk!
Epcot’s International Gateway
If you happen to stay at the Contemporary Resort, you will want to know about this next path. As the Contemporary Resort is right next door to the Magic Kingdom, many of the resort’s rooms offer Magic Kingdom views. Guests can reach the park via Monorail, which happens to run straight through the resort; however, if the Monorail is down or the line is too long, you can take a short walking path that follows the Monorail line right to the entrance of the park within minutes. The path is even, mostly shady, and is only .45 of a mile. Talk about a huge perk for resort guests.
My favorite Disney World walking path has to be the International Gateway situated between Epcot’s United Kingdom and France pavilions. Most guests don’t realize this space is even there; but if you head down this path, you will find the World Traveler shop, turnstiles, and the Friendship Boat Dock. The path continues up a hill and then branches off to either the Yacht and Beach Club or the BoardWalk Inn, and a little more walking takes you to the Swan and Dolphin Resort! In regards to distance, you’re looking at .24 or so of a mile between the International Gateway and the Yacht and Beach Club Resort. This path is obviously a huge perk for guests staying at these resorts, especially since the walk itself only takes about five minutes; but do be aware that the hill is relatively steep and could be a hindrance to some. You can also view the Illuminations fireworks from the path too!
Other Disney World Walking Paths:
Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter are sister resorts and are actually connected by an shaded 1.7 mile walking path along the picturesque Sassagoula River.
Disney’s Pop Century Resort has a new neighbor, the Art of Animation Resort! You can enjoy the paths around Hourglass Lake, which can be found between them, to visit the other to get in a morning jog. The path is about 1.38 mile and offers relatively even, albeit sunny, terrain.
Caribbean Beach offers a 1.2 mile walk around its tropical-inspired Barefoot Bay; and the path around Coronado Springs’ Lago Dorado is also a little over a mile.
Tip: Pick up a walking/jogging map at your Disney resort front desk which offers distances and more info!
So those are some of Disney World’s walking paths. Have I won you over yet? Will you take on a walking path during your next trip to Disney World?
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Hitting the Trail: Taking on the Disney World Walking Paths is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Walt Disney World Tips for Big Groups: Stay Sane, Stay Happy
By Dora
You love your friends and family. I know it. You know it. But when you’re on vacation and suddenly everyone has different ideas of what they want to go and where to eat and when they need bathroom breaks don’t you… sort of… want to push them in the lake? Just a little? Whether this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip or a yearly affair, vacationing with a big group of people can get stressful in a hurry. Here are a few Disney World tips to save your sanity and keep things running as smoothly as possible.
As told entirely by screenshots of The Emperor’s New Groove.
Copyright – Disney
Because nobody knows how to party like Kronk and Yzma, that’s why.
Know Where the Bathrooms/Smoking Areas Are
For some reason, people think it’s weird when you ask everyone to synchronize their bowels and bladders. Since you can’t predict when someone’s going to need the bathroom, other than the laws of nature being that it will be while you’re in line after they told you they were sure they didn’t need to go, keeping track of where the restrooms are in each park is doubly important when you’re wrangling a big group of people. Being able to point out where the closest bathroom is so that someone can quickly pop off there (escorting a kid, if need be) can make sure your trip runs smoothly instead of having to stop and ask a Cast Member every fifteen minutes. The park maps will highlight each area, and most parks have an abundance of them… except for some reason the World Showcase at Epcot, likely to punish those of us with tiny bladders who dare Drink Around the World. Likewise, if you have any smokers in your group, knowing the designated smoking areas keeps you from being that group everyone glares at, walking along trying to be surreptitious about the burning cigarette you’re palming. The smoking areas aren’t quite as numerous as the bathrooms, but they tend to be nicely spaced out.
Scope the Restaurants
Copyright – Disney
There’s nothing worse than assuming a restaurant will have something for everyone, only to see three people at your table make that face when they look at the menu. You know the one. The face that says, “There’s nothing I really want here, so I’m now going to make sure you know I’m suffering through it.” Even if everybody in your group insists they’re “fine with whatever”, assume they’re all dirty liars and make sure everyone has looked at and given their seal of approval on any menus for places you plan to eat. Likewise, while most restaurants at Disney are happy to accommodate special requests for allergies or food restrictions, if someone you’re traveling with is a vegan or can’t handle dairy, it’s always best to call and double-check… making sure you get the name of whoever you talk to so you have someone to refer to if you run into trouble once you’re actually there. Perhaps most importantly, however, is to never underestimate how important reservations can be. Because Disney allows you to book 180 days in advance of your trip for most restaurants and dinner shows that take reservations, some of the more popular restaurants can be booked solid certain times of year, and may have difficulty seating larger parties on the fly even during slower times. If there’s some place you have your heart set on visiting, don’t leave it to chance!
Know When You’re Going
Depending on the time of year, Walt Disney World can be an easy-breezy relaxing trip or a battle upriver against a tide of humanity. While you might think spending Christmas and New Years at Magic Kingdom sounds like the most wonderful thing ever… so does half the rest of the free, vactioning world. Wait times skyrocket, the streets become clogged with people, and reservations can be a nightmare… all of which can be exacerbated when you’re trying to keep track of a bunch of people yourself. Consider what time of year it is, and whether any special events are happening, as well as what parks you plan on visiting, and whether they have Extra Magic Hours for that day. While it might not be a big deal to keep track of a bunch of adults during a busy event, it’s a lot more hectic when dealing with lots of kids and strollers, and even normally patient kids can find long waits for attractions hard to take. The Crowd Calendar included with a Touring Plans subscription can help a great deal with this for specific days, but just taking into consideration the time of year, from big holidays to when school is out in various parts of the country (and world!) can make a big difference. Knowing is half the battle, and considering the way some people wield those strollers in crowds like their name is Inigo Montoya and your ankles killed their father, busy days can be battles indeed. Learning how to use the new FastPass+ system can make your trip a lot easier, and planning your visits around Extra Magic Hours will make the most out of the time you have. There are also a lot of great Disney World tips for any size party right here at Touring Plans.
Stay Connected
Copyright – Disney
Disney World is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly hugely mindbogglingly big it is. This is especially true when you’re visiting it for the first time with a bunch of people who’ve never been there before. While there’s nothing really bad that can happen to someone who gets lost at Disney (… although… where do all those extra dolls on the Small World ride keep coming from… ?), it can derail your day and plans in a big way. As such, it’s important to make sure everyone has a way to contact everyone else. Spend some time double-checking to see that everybody has everyone else’s phone number programmed into any cellphones, and that everyone has any hotel or parking information written down. For people without cellphones, or small children, write all this information down on a piece of paper, ideally sealed within a plastic bag to protect it from humidity, and make sure they have it in their pockets at all times. That way, if a child gets separated, they can just hand your phone number and hotel information over to a Cast Member who can contact you immediately. This also, of course, means that those of us who strive to wander off “accidentally” and spend the afternoon in a hammock waterside at the Polynesian Resort are going to have to come up with another excuse to get out of standing in the line to meet Anna and Elsa with two thousand other people. Speaking of which…
Be Flexible
Copyright – Disney
As much as you might want to plan out every hour and every minute of your trip, you’re going to have to accept that there’s a chance not everyone will be willing or able to do so. Going to Disney World, especially for the first time, is a lot like running to the mall. Sure, you think you know what you’re there for, but suddenly everything else starts catching your eye, too. Maybe you had your heart set on lunch at the Rainforest Cafe, but suddenly your significant other is feeling the Dim Sum at Yak & Yeti. You desperately want to spend an hour floating in the pool, but cousin Eustice wants to go on It’s a Small World. For the third time. In a row. Or you want to run to catch the last showing of Finding Nemo: The Musical but everyone else is happy hanging out at DinoLand U.S.A. More often than not one brave, dedicated soul winds up doing most of the planning to wring every last drop of Disneyliciousness out of the trip for everyone else, and it can be hard and frustrating when someone else wants to break from your itinerary. Don’t take it personally, and try to remember that not everyone can have fun when it feels like they’re being directed around by an iron fist, even if you’re just trying to make sure everyone sees and experiences everything. Either be willing to make changes to your schedule, or…
Divide and Conquer
Copyright – Disney
Not everybody is willing to brave the crush of people that is rope drop. Not everyone wants to spend time at the hotel pool. I know, I know. Split up? At Walt Disney World, the family-est, together-est place on Earth? Sometimes it’s for the best. If you and your bestie are dying to see animatronic Johnny Depp in The Pirates of the Caribbean but nobody else is interested, there’s no reason to force everyone onto any give attraction just for the sake of togetherness. There’s so much to see and do in any given park that there’s something for everyone, so don’t be afraid to split up when interests divide. Just make sure you have a place to meet back at, and a way to contact everyone. Don’t get so hung up on doing everything together that you’re dragging Grandpa to see Mikey’s PhilharMagic when he’d really be happier watching the crowd go by on Main Street with a hot dog. Disney World is one of the safest places around, so you don’t need to worry quite as much if your teenagers want to run off for Dole Whips while you stand in line for the Jungle Cruise Ride. Hey, isn’t that basically why you have kids anyway? So that they can be waiting for you with treats you don’t have to go get yourself when you’re done having fun? Of course, if someone is taking one for the team and standing with little Suzy for two hours so she can meet Princess Jasmine, make sure to balance the responsibility later on and give that person a chance to do what they want while someone else holds the line.
Bring Backups and Supplies
So you trusted Auntie Bev to bring the sunscreen, but she left it at home to leave room for her lucky bingo dobber, and Uncle Barney said he’d be in charge of your reservations, but he can’t remember where he wrote them down. Instead of putting the responsibility for any one crucial thing on a single person’s shoulders, make sure the people who can, are carrying duplicates of the most essential items, even if they’re left at the hotel room most of the time. (And trust me, once you see the price of sunscreen inside the park, you will consider bringing your own an essential.) Make sure everyone has a copy of any reservation numbers and times on their phone, double-check to ensure that everyone also has everyone else’s cell phone number where applicable, and any other information they might need… room numbers, the place you parked? While you’re at it, it might not be a bad idea to invest in a portable cell phone battery recharger. You can get a cheap one for $20.00 or so, and it can cut back on any whining when batteries begin to run low late in the day. Just make sure you have compatible charging cords! If you’re feeling particularly ambitious and you have the space, keep a cooler in your hotel room filled with your favourite things to snack on so you won’t be tempted for room service in the evenings… trust me on that one.
Don’t Forget First-Aid
Copyright – Disney
Sunscreen. Blister pods. Band-aids. Acetaminophen. These are just a few of the things that can keep your day at the parks from being cut short, and they’re also some of the most expensive items to find if you have to buy them in the parks themselves. Take a small ziplock bag and put a few of the basics in for when you’re going to be away from the hotel, but consider making sure you have other medicine available if you need it as well. No matter how much sanitizer you use coming down with a cold is a real threat when you’re at a place with so many people, so keeping things like throat lozenges, cough syrup, and even allergy medication in a suitcase isn’t a bad idea, even if you don’t think you’ll need it. It might seem weird for an article about Disney World tips to really stress how sick and gross you might wind up feeling, but hey. Take it from someone who spent the first day of her honeymoon sneezing, whining, and begging for orange juice and/or an easy demise. The illnesses you can pick up at theme parks are their own special forces of nature, and having medicine on hand is the difference between a derailed day and one that just needs some extra tissues crammed in your pockets. Even if you don’t get sick, little things like headaches or sore feet can get in your way and slow you down if you don’t come prepared.
Take Breaks
Don’t underestimate how big the parks are, or how hot and humid a Florida day can be. Even if you consider your group to be fit as a fiddle, it’s easy to get run down if the only time you sit down is when you’re having lunch or dinner. Even standing in line can be exhausting when you’ve been on your feet for hours already. Take at least ten to fifteen minutes every now and again to relax somewhere shady and rehydrate. If your trip time allows for it, go back to the hotel and take a short nap, or just be somewhere quiet and cool and, you know, not surrounded by hundreds of people for a little while. Touring at Disney World can be exhausting no matter how prepared you are, and sometimes long days can make people tired and crabby, which sort of negates the point of being at the happiest place on Earth, right? Giving everyone a little down time to recharge can go a long way to ensure you finish the end of the day happy and excited for tomorrow instead of dragging their feet and sullen.
Make Time for Everyone
Chances are, everyone in your group has one thing they really, really want to do. Whether it be as simple as getting a bag of fresh made caramel corn in Germany at Epcot or getting a hug from Rapunzel, doing something that means something specifically to each person in the group is a big deal. It’s easy to get hung up on simply crossing every big attraction off a list, but that’s not necessarily what means “Holy gooses, I was at Disney!” to everyone. Get everyone to come up with something specific they want to do and write it down. Make an effort to get to everybody’s item, no matter how small it seems, and schedule the rest of your time around that. You might not get to every single attraction depending on who wants to do what, but at the end of the day you’ll have people who felt like they got to do what they wanted on their vacation, and that makes for happy people. Sometimes Disney magic is all about taking time for the little things, and that’s one of the best Disney World tips I can give you.
Rally
Copyright – Disney
Something is going to go wrong. Something always goes wrong. A ride will be out of service, you’ll miss your reservations, little Timmy is going to throw up on Cinderella’s slippers. But hey. It happens. It happens to literally everyone, and the thing you have to remember is that it doesn’t matter. You are at Disney World, a place a good portion of the population will only ever dream of visiting. You’re with friends and family you care about and enjoy being with. (I mean, one would hope.) The key to surviving Disney disasters is not to let it be a disaster. The more hung up you get about what went wrong, the less you’re enjoying yourself, and nobody goes on vacation to stew in misery. When something goes wrong, regroup and do something else. The quicker you get your mind off of what you’re not doing, the quicker you get your vacation back on track.
A lot of Disney World tips are just common sense, but with a little bit of preparation and making sure everyone is on the same page, no matter how big or small your party is, you’ll conquer the House of Mouse with ease.
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Walt Disney World Tips for Big Groups: Stay Sane, Stay Happy is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Observations from Downtown Disney Part 3 (Marketplace Co-Op and Art of Disney)
By Derek Burgan
Today we are finishing up our three part photo tour of Downtown Disney. Part One looked at the West Side, the new parking garage, and the current construction going on around Pleasure Island. Part Two looked at several venues within the Marketplace and the new pedestrian bridge across Village Lake. We’re going to close out with a look at some items from two of my favorite stores to walk through in Downtown Disney. First up is the Marketplace Co-Op, which opened up earlier this summer replacing the awful Team Disney store. I personally always thought that Team Disney had the opportunity to sell some really unique items based on all the incredible sports movies that Disney has made over the year. Imagine hockey jerseys based off the characters and teams from the Mighty Ducks series of films, or shirts with various Disney characters in the gear of professional teams or even just made up teams from the Disney Universe like maybe a Junior Woodchucks soccer team from the DuckTales universe. Instead, Team Disney for the most part just sold the same MLB and NFL stuff you could get any Sports Authority or Target near you.
Miraculously, Team Disney was transformed earlier this summer into the Marketplace Co-Op, a store which is already among my favorites in all of WDW property.
The Marketplace Co-Op contains six “boutique” stores including: Cherry Tree Lane (women’s accessories such as jewelry and Dooney & Bourkey handbags,) D-Tech on Demand (Disney themed electronics and custom-made cell phone cases), Beautifully Disney (Disney themed make-up and beauty accessories,) The Trophy Room (sports memorabilia,) Zooey and Pickles (tween girl items,) and The Centerpiece (a/k/a One of the Greatest Stores Disney has Ever Made.)
Marketplace Co-op (photo by Brandon Glover)
You can walk freely throughout every store in the Marketplace C0-Op and make all your purchases at one store when you are ready to check-out. The Centerpiece drew me in like a Death Star tractor beam and was blown away seeing items for the Little Orange Bird, Dole Whip, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and the Jungle Cruise.
The Centerpiece
There are cups, coffee mugs, and plates featuring vintage art from Adventureland, the Haunted Mansion, Frontierland and more. you want a glass with Aloha Isle on it? Here’s where you come.
The Centerpiece
The Centerpiece
The Centerpiece
The Centerpiece
The Centerpiece
The Centerpiece
The Centerpiece
I believe the the middle section of the Marketplace C0-Op rotates to feature different products, and when I was there it was spotlight several items from the WonderGround Gallery out in Anaheim. This was a great surprise to me because some of the items featured artwork from one of my favorite artists, J. Scott Campbell (Spider-Man, Danger Girl, and one of the best cover artists working in comics today.) I loved this piece featuring nine Disney princesses, and think the Rapunzel hair running down the entire side is a terrific touch.
Disney princesses by J Scott Campbell
The Co-Op was also offering this Tinker Bell piece.
Tinker Bell by J Scott Campbell
Both the princess print and Tinker Bell one were also offered as coffee mugs, magnets, and smaller sized prints. The princess magnet featuring below is actually nine small magnets which you can keep together like the print or separate.
Items with art by J Scott Campbell
The artist Jasmine Becket-Griffith also had pieces of artwork available, including this one inspired Beauty & the Beast. Jasmine also has several prints available at the Pop Gallery in Downtown Disney’s West Side that we covered in Part One. Very talented.
Art by Jasmine Becket-Griffith
D-Tech on Demand offered pretty much any Disney character to be “rapid printed” on a case and you could also customize one by putting your name on it. I’m not exactly sure how many choices there were, but it seemed like thousands. There were almost a dozen for Frozen alone. This is available for iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 5/5S, iPhone 5C, Samsung Galaxy SIII and Samsung Galaxy S4 phones.
D-Tech on Demand
I went back and purchased all my items at The Centerpiece and noticed the awesome signage they have available behind the counter. I wanted pretty much every one for the Man Cave. There was a Gaston’s Tavern sign available for $65, but Tony’s Town Square, Frontierland, the Enchanted Tiki Room, Aloha Isle and Disneyland were all $150 each. These were extremely high quality.
Marketplace Co-op
Marketplace Co-op
Marketplace Co-op
Marketplace Co-Op
And then there was this. For $150. Whoever purchases it should immediately be put on some sort of watch list for all of our safety.
Marketplace Co-op
Okay, let’s end our trip by taking a quick walk through the Art of Disney store. This has always been one of my favorite places to browse in while at Downtown Disney because of the wide array of really cool artwork. The first “Hatbox Ghost” piece comes from artist Kevin John. I love this style of art, where the characters seem to “drip down” the canvas.
Art of Disney
Call me a sap, but I think I have loved just about every single Disney piece from Thomas Kinkade. This Rapunzel canvas is fantastic and I bought a Disney calendar last year because of how much I loved the Lion King one.
Art of Disney
Art of Disney
I thought this Rapunzel piece by William Silvers was striking.
Art of Disney
You use any character from the Disney Afternoon and I’m probably going to want to buy it, but especially Scrooge McDuck.
Art of Disney
Sometimes I think they create mash-ups just for me.
Art of Disney
Great homage to the Disney film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Art of Disney
This Disney/Star Wars piece stuck out to me because I had just seen the original drawing it was based on by artists Drew Struzan.
Art of Disney
Art by Drew Struzan
I love the retro style of this Radiator Springs Racers print.
Art of Disney
I’m a huge fan of park maps, and was blown away by this Old Tyme Magic Kingdom piece.
Art of Disney
Haunted Mansion piece.
Art of Disney
There is generally an artist working inside the Art of Disney doing sketches. There is a huge book of characters to choose from. While I was there the artist was working on a piece but next time I will ask if the samples in the book are the only ones they will do or if I said “I’d like three of the Beagle Boys,” if they could do it.
Art of Disney
Art of Disney
I guess I can see the pros and cons of having pre selected sketches, but I can’t imagine any real artist enjoying losing all forms of creativity with that type of system. One last item before we leave the Art of Disney is this golf plated opening day Magic Kingdom ticket book. Actually I’m not even sure if it’s gold plated, it could just be gold looking. This was $150.
Art of Disney
That’s it for now. We’ll be back in the coming weeks with another look at Downtown Disney featuring updates on new merchandise, the parking garage, Disney Springs locations and more. If you have any requests, post them in the comments below. While you are waiting, feel free to check out our monthly photo reports of the Disney Outlet Store in The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! along with the most recent SATURDAY SIX featuring Six Reasons to Visit Downtown Disney in its Current State.
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Observations from Downtown Disney Part 3 (Marketplace Co-Op and Art of Disney) is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
August 12, 2014
Disney California Adventure Character Meet & Greets: A Walking Tour
By Adam Britten
Me with an old friend, both in our bow ties.
A couple weeks ago, I took you on a walking tour of some of the various character meet & greet opportunities in Disneyland Park. This week, let’s take a look at some of the spots in Disney California Adventure Park where you can meet your favorite Disney characters.
Before the park became known as Disney California Adventure, and before the major “DCA 2.0″ overhaul, a park visitor would be pretty hard-pressed to find characters to take pictures with or get an autograph from. But over the years, that has changed. DCA is now home to many characters, much like its companion park across the esplanade.
Officer Calvin Blue
Once you walk in the front gates, you can often find members of the Fab 5 in their retro Hollywood best. On rare mornings, I’ve even seen them standing in groups of two or three. I love seeing characters in groups because watching them interact with each other can be more fun than meeting them yourself. Also on Buena Vista Street, you can find the Buena Vista Street Citizens such as Donna the Dog Lady or Officer Calvin Blue. These are original characters similar to the Citizens of Hollywood at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park in Walt Disney World.
Head to the right, and you may bump into Aviator Minnie! This character meet and greet has survived, despite the fact that the show that featured her, “Minnie’s Fly Girls,” was eliminated a couple years ago with no replacement. I only caught that show once on a visit to the Disneyland Resort before I was a SoCal native. I wish it was still around, but at least Minnie is there to cheer me up!
The wilderness must be explored!
Keep going around the park’s perimeter, and you will find yourself in Redwood Creek. Check your times guide for the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail ceremony where you will be able to meet Russel from Disney Pixar’s “Up” and become a Senior Wilderness Explorer. (But first, make sure to earn all of your Wilderness Explorer badges!)
Head over to Paradise Pier, and you might just spot some of your favorite friends from Toy Story like Woody or Jessie. This land is also home to the “Phineas and Ferb Rockin’ Rollin’ Dance Party” and the Green Army Men, although these are not traditional meet and greets and more streetmosphere events.
If you visit Carsland, you can often find Mater and Lightning McQueen out for a drive. Take your picture with them and you might just hear a familiar catch phrase or two.
My friend Scott and I scared Sulley!
Finally, stop into Hollywood Land in order to meet with some well known characters from Disney Junior such as Jake the Pirate, Sofia the First, and Doc McStuffins. You might also find some of your Pixar pals like Frozone, the Incredibles, or Sulley from Monsters Inc. (Although he’s been wearing his Monsters University varsity jacket for quite some time, now. I kind wish he would take it off and return to his original meet & greet look.)
Of course, there are a few opportunities to meet characters that I didn’t mention. If dining with the princesses is your cup of tea, I would recommend a stop at Ariel’s Grotto. Over on Paradise Pier you can catch Duffy and Donald. The Incredibles and Frozone have also been spotted in Hollywood Land.
You may think that this marks the end of our character meet & greet walking tour. But you are wrong! There are even more characters to meet outside of the two theme parks. Come back next time to see them!
Some of the many characters you can meet at Disney California Adventure.
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TouringPlans Everywhere: Budgeting for A Tokyo Disneyland Trip
A couple of weeks ago I posted an introduction to my upcoming trip to Tokyo Disneyland as part of TouringPlans Everywhere. In this post I will talk about how much each component of the trip costs and share a time line of my different planning stages.
The earliest stage of planning for my trip to Tokyo began back January of this year. The idea of every TouringPlans employee taking a trip to a different Disney destination was thrown around, and we were asked to get a rough estimate on how much a trip would cost. When I was assigned Tokyo, I knew I would want to stay beyond the 4 days the company was paying for. My wife and I discussed how many days we could actually afford to go, and we ended up settling on 8 nights. Anyway, like I said , my first step was to get an estimate, so I started searching for hotel rooms and airfare to get a basic idea. After quickly going through a few travel websites (I was just getting an estimate so I didn’t shop around too much), I figured the total cost would be around $5825. Breaking it down, my estimates were $2500 for airfare, $2000 for hotel rooms, $1000 for food, $325 for park tickets, and $600 for transportation in Japan. That total price is too high for my wife and I to afford, so I knew we would have to adjust the plans or get lucky and find some deals to save us some cash.
Time line
1/14/14 – Very early on in my trip planning I was shopping around for hotels in the Tokyo Disney Resort area. Like any major city or theme park, Tokyo Disney Resort has many hotels with a wide variety of price ranges to choose from. I started to see some good deals for just a little over $100 a night. This would save us some money, but if we stayed at them we would have to take some form of transportation in to the resort. As I mentioned in my last post, there are several hotels on Tokyo Disney Resort property that are also located near a Disney monorail station. After comparing prices at the six non-Disney-branded hotels, the lowest price ended up being the Hilton Tokyo Bay. Hilton.com listed rooms at $171 a night, so we whipped out the credit card and locked in our dates. However, we knew we wanted to splurge a bit and stay in a Disney-branded hotel for at least one night, so we only booked three nights at the Hilton.
1/20/14 – On this day I looked up my travel dates on Bing Farecast. The price for airfare was still high ($864 for nonstop Los Angeles to Tokyo), but thanks to Bing’s tools I could see that the price was within 30% of the lowest price in the last 6 months. So the cost could go lower, but it also could go higher. The good thing is that this price was lower than my original estimate of $1250. In the end I played it safe and booked the flight.
2/11/14 – Around this time I had been talking to my friends Tom and Sarah Bricker, and we realized that we were both planning Tokyo Disneyland trips for around the same time of year. One of the things both of our groups had in common was that we wanted to stay in the Disney-branded hotels, but couldn’t make it work because of the high prices. We all agreed that we could stretch our dollars a bit more if we split the cost of the Tokyo Disney Resort hotel rooms and decided we would stay three nights in Disney-branded hotel rooms.
I had a Skype call with my travel mates to discuss our newly formed hotel plans. Disney hotels in Tokyo are extremely popular, and at most times of the year they can sell out in the first 24 hours of availability. Because of this we had to set our game plan for when our window to book opened up. Neither the Brickers or I have stayed in the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel or MiraCosta, so we decided to split our stay in to those two hotels. I should also mention that MiraCosta hotel has three sections (“Venice Side,” “Porto Paradiso Side,” and “Tuscany Side”) with varying levels of cost. Venice and Porto Paradiso sides have theme park views, while Tuscany looks out on to the plaza in front of the hotel. Venice Side has views of the park’s stunning Palazzo Canals. Porto Paradiso faces inside DisneySea, including views of Mount Prometheus. It was a tough choice, but we splurged a bit and went with Porto Paradiso side, even though we could have saved a bit of money by staying on Tuscany side.
4/11/14 – As I said before, Tokyo Disney Resort hotels are extremely popular and quickly sell out. The day to book our 2 nights at Tokyo Disneyland Hotel arrived on this date, and we were able to successfully book our room. We did this by waiting on TDR’s hotel reservation page until the minute our time to book arrived and then immediately attempted to book our dates. The total cost for 2 nights in Tokyo Disneyland Hotel came to a whopping $1131.
4/14/14 – Our booking window for MiraCosta opened up. The rooms appeared to instantly sell out, but friends had warned us that people often cancel and said to frequently check back for openings. Our persistence paid off in the following days, and we were able to find a room for the one night we needed. The total cost for one night in MiraCosta ended up being $546. It’s also worth noting that Japanese hotels do not charge your credit card when you make a reservation. They will only charge your card when you arrive and check in at the hotel.
5/16/14 – With the Disney hotels and airfare out of the way, most of the major components of our trip had been taken care of. But we still had 2 nights to book hotels for. After again chatting with Tom and Sarah, we all agreed that we wanted to take a trip to Universal Studios Japan, which is located in Osaka, Japan. Osaka is about a 3 hour train ride from Tokyo, so at first it didn’t seem like it would be worth it. But Tom pointed out that the spectacular Osaka castle is also in the area, as well as many other sights to see. Another reason is Universal Studios Japan’s surprisingly strong lineup of attractions. The park’s attraction lineup is basically a best of showcase of all the rides and shows in the American parks combined in to one park (including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Back to the Future: The Ride, and many more). We found a nice little hotel called Hotel Monterey and locked in our room for $164 a night.
5/25/14 – I promise this is the last paragraph on hotel rooms! With Osaka hotel rooms booked, we still needed a room for when we return to Tokyo after traveling back. We again went for a hotel on Tokyo DisneyResort property. The cheapest this time ended up being Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel at $282. This included an extra $55 because there are four of us. Most Japanese hotel rooms we found were limited to two people: any more, and they will charge a fee. Finally, we had a hotel room for each night of our trip. The total price for all hotels during our stay was $2636. This is over my original estimate, but remember that I’m splitting 4 nights with the Brickers. After taking out Tom and Sarah’s share, the price my wife and I owe is $1657. That’s not bad for 8 days.
With hotels and airfare out of the way, I’m just left with a few additional essentials, but not any time-sensitive items to pay for. The first item is park tickets, which can be purchased online on TDR’s website. Now is a good time to mention that Tokyo Disney Resort has a different set of rules for park hopping. There are no single or two day park hopper tickets available. Park hopping is only allowed for three and four day tickets. But even when you purchase a three or four day ticket, you’re only able to visit one park on the first and second day (for example, you can visit Tokyo Disneyland on day one, and DisneySea on day two), and then you will have the park hopping privilege on the third day, or fourth if you bought a four day ticket. I will be visiting the parks 4 days during my trip, so I will purchase four day ticket, officially called “4-Day Magic Passport.” The four day ticket costs $160 for adults. Tokyo Disney Resort does not offer any tickets for longer than four days (besides Annual Passports).
Photo courtesy of Tom Bricker
Another expense I need to take care of before I leave is the “Japan Rail Pass.” This ticket offers unlimited use of Japan Rail trains and is a cost-effective way to travel around Japan. The ticket is only sold to tourists, and it must be purchased before arriving in Japan. The total cost is currently $282.90 USD. There is also an option for first class cars available for $377.85, but I’ll be sticking with the cheaper option. The Japan Rail Pass is sold in a handful of major airports, as well as a number of travel agents (check the Japan Rail website for a list). There is a Japanese super market about 10 minutes from my house that sells them, so I will be purchasing them at that location.
After adding up all these expenses, my total comes to $4270. That does not include $1000 I estimated for food (and who knows how much my wife and I will spend on souvenirs). As you can see, I’m slightly under my original estimate, but it’s still a lot of money. That price is roughly double what I usually spend to visit Walt Disney World for the same length of time. My wife and I have been saving for this trip for about a year now, and we both have no question that it’ll be worth it, even if we have to eat a lot of ramen and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for dinner for the next few months.
My question to you is do you think it’s worth it? Have you ever been through the process of budgeting for a Tokyo Disneyland trip? If you’re a yearly visitor Walt Disney World or Disneyland, would you give up a couple of those trips to visit one of the foreign parks? Is visiting Tokyo Disneyland more or less expensive than you thought? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
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My Disney Experience Brings Needed Improvements For Making Advanced Dining Reservations While in the Parks
Have you ever been in Walt Disney World and suddenly come to the realization that you are hungry? You aren’t just hungry, but instead you are starving and want a full meal to satisfy your appetite. One little caveat…while you want to enjoy a nice table service meal, you currently have no Advance Dining Reservation scheduled.
So you open up the app because you want to see what restaurants have availability in the near future, but the app says that reservations are unavailable. (At least over the next hour. Search for times after the initial hour or, so and you’ll see that some restaurants clearly have availability.) You know that not every restaurant can be booked up for the next couple of hours, but you cannot see any availability to be able to make an ADR. So you are stuck either going door to door to the different table service locations to find one to dine in, or you are stuck eating counter service. It’s so frustrating! (This happened to me on my last trip actually, so I speak from experience. Can you tell?)
Well, beginning tomorrow, all that changes! You see, starting on August 13, dining reservations can be made via the My Disney Experience app for iOS devices or via Disney’s website for any available seating up to 20 minutes in advance! (Yay!)
Future enhancements are planned to include the same booking feature via the My Disney Experience app for Android devices.
This is great news for those who may be looking for a last minute reservation, because – let’s be honest – you never know when a craving will hit while you are at Walt Disney World. It will be nice to know that I now have the option to satisfy more easily that desire for a good table service meal.
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Disney Partners With Pandora Jewelry
©Pandora
Pandora is coming…and I don’t only mean the Pandora associated with Avatarland. Instead I mean that PANDORA Jewelry will be coming soon, as the company has entered into an alliance with the Walt Disney Company.
Beginning this November, a collection of PANDORA’s 14k gold and sterling silver charms will go on sale featuring many of Disney’s favorite characters, like Mickey and Minnie.
The initial line that will be found at PANDORA stores will consist of 25 styles. There will also be 16 additional styles that are only going to be sold at Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort, Disney Vacation Club properties, and on the Disney Cruise Line. Additionally both Uptown Jewelers in the Magic Kingdom and La Mascarade d ‘Orleans in Disneyland will unveil unique PANDORA retail sections.
“We’re looking forward to the opportunities ahead through our alliance with PANDORA,” said Tiffany Rende, senior vice president of Disney Corporate Alliances and Operating Participants.”In addition to debuting a new line of PANDORA Jewelry at retail level that we know will be a fan favorite, we are collaborating on other product lines and guest experiences at our domestic Parks and Resorts.”
The agreement will last for 10 years and will also include a sponsorship of the Magic Kingdom’s nightly fireworks spectacular, Wishes.
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Observations from Downtown Disney Part 2 (Disney Springs, World of Disney, T-REX)
By Derek Burgan
In part one of this photo tour of Downtown Disney we covered the West Side and all the walls surrounding Pleasure Island. We start off part two with one of the only references to Disney Springs that you will see in the entire Downtown Disney area. Even the concept art doesn’t have “Disney Springs” on it. Several lampposts outside of Fulton’s Crab House were emblazoned with the Disney Springs logo earlier this spring.
Disney Springs lamppost in front of Fulton’s Crab House
There is actually a decent amount of photo ops throughout Downtown Disney, including this dinosaur and waterfall in back of the T-REX Cafe.
T-REX Cafe
T-REX may have several faults (it can be very loud and expensive), but there is no denying that the overall theming of the restaurant is something that would fit perfectly into any theme park. The bar area is absolutely gorgeous with a gigantic octopus, a huge aquarium, and cool jellyfish lamps hanging from the ceiling.
T-Rex Cafe (photo by Brandon Glover)
I stopped in to see the current status of the fish tank that sprung a leak several months ago. On my last visit there was a large scrim around the tank, but this time the scrim was gone, and the tank appeared to be fixed. The tank, itself, was filled with water, but there were no fish inside.
T-Rex Cafe
Next stop is the World of Disney store, with the new Starbucks out in front open and serving guests.
Starbucks in front of World of Disney Store
These “Theme Park Tagalongs” blew my mind. The directions say you place a coin (which you can see located at the top right of the package) under your shirt, and the figure sits on the outside of your shirt, attaching to the coin by use of a magnet. What I didn’t understand is this, how does the coin stay on your shoulder?! We had a heated discussion about this on the Pardon the Pixie Dust podcast, with my cohost making a very strong case that I don’t understand how magnets work. However, I am convinced that as soon as you start walking, these figurines will tip over as a moving human body is not like a refrigerator. I am now going to purchase some Tagalongs and do a scientific study to prove this theory. I will report the findings on my next Downtown Disney photo report.
World of Disney ($12.95)
This is one of the five greatest pieces of Disney merchandise I have ever seen.
This Jiminy Cricket Tagalong is also a five star idea. If these Tagalongs work, and I don’t think they do, there are some neat concepts I would definitely buy, including Rocket Raccoon, birds from the Enchanted Tiki Room, and characters from A Bug’s Life.
World of Disney
Duffy the Bear as Steamboat Willie plush. I expect I’ll be seeing this at the Disney Outlet Store sooner or later.
World of Disney
While there was very little Frozen merchandise in the store (most of it is being routed straight to Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post in Hollywood Studios), the items that were here had a limit of five per guest.
World of Disney
For some reason these Anna and Elsa shoe ornaments were on the bottom rows of a huge ornament display area in the back of the housewares section of World of Disney. If they had been put in the main area of the store with the other princess items, I imagine they would be completely sold out in less than a half hour.
This section with car accessories had some interesting items. I’ve always like that Mickey I-4 design.
World of Disney
World of Disney
Car air fresheners. What exactly does Mickey Mouse smell like?
Let’s take a look at some t-shirts. Several of these have been around at World of Disney for a while, but they stand out from the rest. I can’t explain it, but I find this Park Hopper Mickey shirt to be very charming. Pretty much all the shirts you see range between $21.95 and $29.95.
I think this Disney Food Critic shirt works on multiple levels.
It’s shocking to see there is almost as much Hercules merchandise as Frozen. Love seeing merchandise for the “other” films in the Disney library. Why not make small runs of shirts for movies they re-release on Blu-ray like Treasure Planet?
Home on the Range fans, there’s still hope for you yet….
This is a Top Five Strangest Shirt of All Time. I wish Neil deGrasse Tyson would do an episode of Cosmos wearing it.
When you think of how insanely protective Disney is of its characters and brands, it is almost inconceivable how shirts like this are made. I think it looks like it came from that t-shirt shop the Jersey Shore crew worked in. (EDIT: Someone astutely pointed out that this picture is from an old time Mickey Mouse cartoon Plane Crazy with the shirt showing Mickey’s attempt at trying to look like Charles Lindbergh. That one is on me, as all my knowledge of extremely old cartoons is relegated to Toon Lagoon in Islands of Adventure. In my defense, after the Mickey “swaggy” shirt I am on the lookout for the most bizarre items possible featuring our favorite mouse.)
The following shirt shows you exactly what it feels like to be walking around Downtown Disney on a typical day during the summer in Florida.
I really liked this style of shirt, which had logos for all four parks and what year they opened in.
This Donald Duck-as-Darth Maul coffee cup was $18.95. I’m not a coffee drinker, but I’m assuming having a horn on the handle would be inconvenient.
World of Disney
I actually enjoyed the television show Desperate Housewives, but I’m not sure it exactly works with Minnie Mouse.
World of Disney
A quick run through the Vinylmation figures show us a set based on topiaries.
World of Disney
And then there is this “Ink & Paint” set, which may be the oddest looking Vinylmations I have ever seen.
My Nightmares World of Disney
World of Disney
The one Vinylmation series I really enjoy is the Park Starz one, and mostly it’s because the artists are constrained by the Mickey mold. Each time they announce a new series, I want to collect them all, but then I buy one at $18.95 and realize the folly of my ways. I did buy one from Series Three on this trip and got a bird from Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room. This joins my Haunted Mansion Bride (Series One) and Haunted Mansion Ghost (Series Two.)
Park Starz Vinylmations
Next door to World of Disney is Basin, which sells health and beauty products.
The store’s signature items are various bars of soap that have designs in them. They are sold by weight, most being $5.99/100g (the average bar will cost you between $6-$7). It’s worth walking through the store just to check out all of the different types, as several of them are Disney related.
Basin
Basin
Over at Once Upon a Toy they had a couple Marvel comics in their book section, including the Figment comic book
Once Upon a Toy
This shelf had the only Frozen-related items in the entire store outside of Anna figures for Disney Infinity.
Once Upon a Toy
I have always wanted a Disney Monorail toy, and my upcoming stay at the Contemporary Resort next month has only intensified that desire. There is no logical reason for me to want this toy or any of its accessories, but I have to all but stage an intervention each and every time I’m around one to stop me from buying it.
Once Upon a Toy
Once Upon a Toy
I mentioned photo-ops before, and here is another good one in-between Once Upon a Toy and Earl of Sandwich.
We’ll finish part two by looking at the LEGO Store, which is located between T-REX and World of Disney and now has construction walls everywhere near it, just like Planet Hollywood. I always love seeing the Lego dragon in the water outside the store and consider it the “park” icon for Downtown Disney.
There are a lot of great displays inside the LEGO Store, including this house for the Simpsons ($199.99)
The Lego Store
This reproduction of the Sydney Opera House runs $319.99 and contains almost 3,000 pieces. I estimated it would take me approximately 5 years to put this together.
The Lego Store
There were a couple awesome sets for fans of Universal. The Ghostbusters Ecto-1 was $49.95, and the Back to the Future DeLorean was $34.95
The Lego Store
The Lego Store
There is going to be a pedestrian walkway across the water from the area near the LEGO Store to the area in front of the Rainforest Cafe. A lot of work has been done on this, and you can see a structure in the middle standing high.
View from in front of The Lego Store
This is the same walkway as seen from the opposite side, in the Lava Lounge at the Rainforest Cafe.
See you tomorrow morning, when we finish our look at Downtown Disney in Part Three, taking a look at the new Marketplace Co-op store and Art of Disney.
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