Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1204
August 1, 2014
Epcot Food and Wine Festival Adds Eat to the Beat Dining Packages
©Disney
Do you have a favorite band performing at this year’s Eat to the Beat Concert Series that you just cannot miss? Well you are in luck, because at this year’s Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, for the first time, guests can choose to purchase an Eat to the Beat Dining Package.
These packages, which work in a similar fashion as the Candlelight Processional Dining Packages, not only guarantee a spot for one Eat to the Beat Concert performance, but guests will also be able to enjoy a delicious meal at select Epcot restaurants for either lunch or dinner.
The dining package includes an appetizer, entree, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage or 1 full buffet. Guests on the Disney Dining Plan may utilize it here, but it will cost two table service entitlements.
Pricing is as follows:
Location
Lunch (Adult)
Lunch (Child 3-9)
Dinner (Adult)
Dinner (Child 3-9)
Rose and Crown
UK Pavilion
$45.99
$13.99
$56.99
$17.99
Coral Reef
The Seas Pavilion
$55.99
$14.99
$64.99
$17.99
Biergarten
Germany Pavilion
$34.99
$18.99
$52.99
$28.99
The Garden Grill
The Land Pavilion
N/A
N/A
$56.99
$28.99
Nine Dragons
China Pavilion
$39.99
$12.99
$49.99
$16.99
Restaurant Marrakesh
Morocco Pavilion
$39.99
$14.99
$49.99
$17.99
San Angel Inn
Mexico Pavilion
$50.30
$14.50
$63.60
$16.75
Via Napoli
Italy Pavilion
$40.99
$13.99
$52.99
$17.99
Les Chefs de France
France Pavilion
$59.99
$15.99
$74.99
$21.99
Tokyo Dining
Japan Pavilion
$59.99
$15.99
$69.99
$18.99
Teppan Edo
Japan Pavilion
$59.99
$15.99
$69.99
$18.99
Tutto Italia
Italy Pavilion
$54.99
$14.99
$66.99
$18.99
La Hacienda de San Angel
Mexico Pavilion
N/A
N/A
$67.50
$16.75
Do keep in mind that pricing does not include tax or gratuity. Packages are now on sale and can be booked by calling 407-939-1889.
Badges for the reserved concert seating will be given at the restaurant. The Eat to the Beat Concert performances take place at the America Gardens Theatre, found in the American Adventure Pavilion. Concert times are 5:30 pm, 6:45 pm, and 8:00 pm
To see who will be performing when, make sure to check out the full Eat to the Beat Concert Series line up.
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Ranking Epcot Beer
By Scott Wurzel
The slow but steady transformation caused by the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival’s popularity is positively affecting beer selection in the park. But all pavilions are not equal. Considering selection, ambiance, and variety, what follows is my attempt at ranking Epcot beer options. Please note this list excludes full service restaurants from consideration and is not meant to be exhaustive.
12. China
The nation of China is not well known for beer, and the pavilion reflects this with its position at the bottom of the list. Thirsty guests will find two beers on draft: Tsingtao and Tsingtao Pure Draft. Both options are standard American style lagers and are unlikely to offend anyone but probably will not impress either. Ambiance and practicality take a hit too: the pavilion doesn’t have many shaded areas to drink and the few that do exist are mostly in the quick service restaurant. Both beers can be found at the Joy of Tea kiosk and Lotus Blossom Cafe.
11. Norway
Norway just barely edges out China. Its single draft offering, Carlsberg, is a little tastier with just a slight hint of hops. I do give them an extra point because it’s a beer rarely seen in the US even if the flavor is not outstanding, where Tsingtao is available at most Chinese restaurants in the States. Finding a good place to enjoy the beer nearby is a challenge. Only the dining area next to the Stave Church is shaded and it’s crowded and noisy. Find Carlsberg in the Bakery and at the drink cart.
10. France
France loses out in selection, having only one beer available, but it’s a good choice. Kronenbourg 1664 is a light, pleasantly fizzy lager. In contrast to the boring and tasteless lagers in Norway, Japan, and China, this has a nice clean hop bitterness and a little malty finish. The carbonation is champagne-like and refreshing.
9. Mexico
Desperado Beer at La Cava
This one breaks my heart. With full disclosure, I am a die hard La Cava del Tequila fan. They used to have one of the most unique beer offerings in all of Walt Disney World: Day of the Dead beers. These were craft brewed, and from Mexico. There were three available and all above average. Unfortunately, they didn’t sell well and are no longer available (but still appear on the menu). They were replaced by a Heineken produced beer (though apparently brewed in Mexico — I’m skeptical) called Desperados. The description “blended with tequila barrel aged lager” confused me at first. What is blended with the lager? The answer is in the taste as this appears to be a malt beverage blended with a hint of lager. It’s sweet, lime flavored, and tastes more like soda than beer. Also available are the standard array of Mexican style lagers including Sol, Dos Equis, and Tecate. All fine, but far from an unique experience. Still, the Mexico Pavilion is an excellent place to enjoy your beer with air conditioning and a festive but quiet atmosphere.
8. Morocco
Another nation that drinks very little beer. The quality here is a marked improvement over the previous four. The native beer here is Casablanca which is strangely called just “Casa” on almost every sign and menu in the park and is the first appearance of a pale ale. They also offer Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat which is a decent American craft beer, but is poorly fitted to the location. The only connection I can make is sharing the word “Tangerine” with the Cafe of the same name. Speaking of which, both beers are available at the Tangerine Cafe as well as the Juice Bar. Ambiance is superb though. Grab a Casablanca and find a quiet cool spot in the back of this detailed pavilion.
7. Japan
Frozen Beer in Japan Pavilion
If you decide this is the place to drink, the Kabuki Cafe is your best bet. Japan gets a fair bump on uniqueness. Here you will find a beer quintessentially Japanese: Frozen Kirin. The whole thing isn’t frozen, just the cap, forming a cold, thick “head” on the drink. Underneath is icy cold but not frozen Kirin Lager. The cold is the whole gimmick here since this rice lager is virtually flavorless. But it is a good gimmick as the frozen top keeps the beer cold for a long time, even in the Floridian sun. The garden in this pavilion is my favorite spot to relax anyway. Combining its cool shadiness with the frozen drink rivals air conditioning on a hot day. They also offer Asahi from a bottle which is a little better tasting than the Kirin and much harder to come by in the US.
6. Italy
When I think of Italy, I think of wine. But this pavilion has a great selection of beers at Tutto Gusto. The Moretti and Rossa are pale and amber ales, respectively, and are fair examples of the styles. The real standout here is the Southampton Biere De Mars a bière de garde made in New York. It’s not Italian, but we won’t see a beer this good until #1.
5. United Kingdom
This pavilion has almost everything you would expect, and that’s a good thing. The beer kiosk in front of Rose & Crown Pub has Bass, Newcastle, Strongbow Cider, Magner’s Perry, and Guinness. Comfortable locations to enjoy your British brew are few, but the selection and quality wins out. Bass is also available at Yorkshire County Fish Shop, but that line is long if there are a lot of Brits in the park.
4. American Adventure
Block and Hans
With a rotating seasonal tap of Samuel Adams (Summer Ale right now) and Yuengling at Fife & Drum Tavern and a new kiosk devoted to craft beer called Block & Hans, it’s hard to go wrong with the American Adventure area. Block & Hans currently has available Abita Purple Haze, Blue Point Toasted Lager, Hopageddon, Bell’s Oberon Ale, and Victory Garden Golden Monkey. Given this selection (you can’t go wrong with any of these) this location has #1 ranking written all over it, but there are two catches. All of these are in bottles and cost as much as $9.00. Hopefully they will add taps soon and add some Florida breweries.
3. Outpost
Surprised? Me too. This has long been known as a beer wasteland offering only the misleadingly labeled “Safari Amber.” Times have changed. You can now get Orlando Blond Ale from Orlando Brewing and Florida Lager from Florida Beer Company in Cape Canaveral. Having local beer pole-vaults this up the list. Grab one of each and enjoy at the umbrellaed tables across the path along the waterfront. Maybe someone will even serenade you with drums.
2. Germany
No surprise here. Anywhere in the Germany Pavilion that you can get a beverage you can get beer. The popular Schöfferhofer Grapefruit Wheat beer is now available year-round. Also available is Hövels, Altenmünster Oktoberfest, and Radeberger Pilsner. However, they are all on the light side and miss some important German styles like Altbier and Berliner Weisse. So this pavilion isn’t as well rounded as it should be, but there isn’t a better atmosphere to enjoy a brew. If you want to escape the heat, carefully browse the shops with your drink.
1. Canada
With La Fin du Mond!
Le Fin Du Monde. On Tap. QED. Also by Unibroue is Trois Pistoles and Éphémère. Yes they still have Moosehead, but come on!
Honorable Mention: Sunshine Seasons
Nothing too remarkable here but it’s one of the few places you can get a beer before World Showcase opens. The Yuengling here is probably your best bet for breakfast.
Agree with my rankings? Have your own? Let me know in the comments.
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Observations from Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Week of July 28
Does Disney’s Hollywood Studios hold up in a post-Diagon Alley world? (Photos by Seth Kubersky)
“It was the best of rides, it was the worst of rides…”
With deepest apologies to Charles Dickens, today I present a Tale of Two Parks. As regular readers may have noticed, I’ve been spending a lot of time these past few months at Universal Studios Florida, documenting the debut of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Diagon Alley. But USF isn’t the only movie-centric theme park in Orlando. So on Monday, July 28, I stopped by the other Studios for the first time in forever — or at least since Star Wars Weekends — for some observations from Disney’s Hollywood Studios. How does DHS stack up in the age of Harry Potter’s newest expansion?
First, a bit of background. The origins of DHS and USF will forever be entwined, as Michael Eisner accelerated the opening of Walt Disney World’s third gate to upstage Universal’s first Floridian attraction. Though it was announced first, Universal Studios Florida opened a year after Disney/MGM Studios (as the park will forever be known in the hearts of long-time fans) and was initially hobbled by famously malfunctioning E-Tickets like Jaws and Kong. MGM sported only a half-day slate of entertainment upon its debut, but added major rides like Star Tours and Tower of Terror during its first decade, while Universal used that time to tame its balky headliners and add effects-driven shows like Twister and Terminator 2.
By the turn of the millennium, Orlando’s two Studios parks were roughly equivalent in terms of attractions lineups — at least in the minds of many vacationeers, who would often bypass USF for DHS if they had purchased multi-day Disney passes. But over the next fifteen years, the stories of these two parks distinctly diverge. Disney added Toy Story Midway Mania and some shows, while letting much the rest of the park (especially the once-iconic Backlot Tour and Animation exhibits) become stale. In contrast, Universal systematically replaced or reimagined nearly its entire opening slate; aside from E.T., Animal Actors, and the Horror Makeup Show, hardly a trace of the 1990′s version USF is still recognizable.
That tug-of-war between the latest thrills vs. reliable nostalgia is emblematic of the ongoing competition between Disney and Universal, and the latest battle in that war is being waged with snowballs. As you can see from these photos, my return to DHS coincided with their Frozen Fun promotion, capitalizing on the seemingly endless popularity of the animated film.
Guests are given these cute (and cheap) paper Olafs on sticks upon entry. Use them to fan yourself in hopes of not melting like a snowman in summer.
Both Studios have a Hollywood Boulevard with some of the same architectural landmarks, but Disney’s is scenically superior. Or at least it would be, if it wasn’t for a certain ginormous hat…
As I entered the park, a brief show was occurring on the Sorcerer’s Hat stage, featuring a live host interacting with a video of Olaf. Olaf wished for it to be “cooler,” provoking a flurry of fog and fake snow. According to Accuweather, his wish went unfulfilled; with the humidity index, it felt like 1000°F out there.
My first destination was to secure a return ticket for the “For the First Time in Forever” Frozen Sing-Along Celebration in the Premiere Theater. Disney has been taking a page from a classic USF attraction and is going “Back to the Future” with a new form of paper FastPass, which elderly readers may dimly remember from the epoch before MagicBands.
With only one Cast Member distributing reservation cards, the line moved fitfully at best, and by the time I reached its head all slots for the next show were gone. Luckily, a standby line had just formed for the performance that was about to start, and joined the queue only a few guests from the front.
A few minutes before showtime, we were allowed into the theater, while being warned that it may be “standing room only.” However, an entire row in the center of the theater turned out to be almost completely empty. Reserved for purchasers of viewing packages, this row becomes fair game once the show begins, and beats standing in the aisles or blocking the view of the technicians.
The sing-along itself was delightful, especially considering that it is a sort-term seasonal show assembled in a short amount of time. Anna makes an appearance in the opening minutes, and both sisters return for the finale, but most of the show is carried by a pair of storytellers who deliver a subversively snarky and self-aware retelling of the movie’s plot, in between screening musical numbers with projected lyrical subtitles. The script does a serviceable job of condensing the story (though I was disappointed that “Fixer Upper” is skipped over), but it’s the improvisational-style commentary from the humorous hosts that make this as entertaining to adults as their caterwauling kids.
Frozen is big enough by now that it deserves a dedicated year round attraction, but until that happens I hope Disney considers continuing this production beyond its projected September 1 closure.
After the sing along, I circled around the park to take the temperature of the crowds. The park was originally predicted to be a 4 out of 10 in our Crowd Calendar, but was later revised up to an 8. After several weeks of visiting USF on 9+ days, I was surprised to see how DHS felt even more crowded than its numbers indicated. Perhaps the Frozen festival is drawing even more guests than anticipated, or maybe I was experiencing the effect of DHS’s relatively small number of guest-absorbing rides. Either way, outside of the Gringotts queue Universal subjectively feels like it has more elbow room, despite being objectively busier.
Proving that Potter doesn’t have a monopoly on getting guests to queue for merchandise, Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post had a 15 minute wait when I walked by.
By now, it was time for a ride on Orlando’s other 3-D spinning family-friendly thrill ride. I booked an afternoon FastPass+ for Toy Story Mania, which allowed me to bypass the 90 minute wait and board in under 5 minutes.
I confess that I’m not a huge fan of Toy Story Midway Mania. The polarized 3-D lacks the depth and contrast of the Dolby 3-D screens in Star Tours and Gringotts, while the pull-string launchers inevitably give my forearm embarrassing carpal cramps. As far as interactive shooting attractions go, I’d much rather ride MEN IN BLACK or Buzz Lightyear (especially the California version).
Keep in mind than several attractions, including Toy Story and The Great Movie Ride, close early to prepare for the nightly Frozen fireworks.
Or maybe I’m just bitter because I can’t win anything better than a beaver. At least I managed to beat the non-existent players in my empty car!
Speaking of the return of paper FastPass, these “Crew Card” timed reservations are still required to experience the Captain Jack Sparrow walk-through near Toy Story Mania!
Before I knew it, it was time for a trip to the Twilight Zone. Again, I was grateful for my FastPass+ appointment, as it allowed me to bypass a full standby queue snaking through the Hollywood Tower Hotel’s decaying gardens.
It’s been a little over 20 years since Tower of Terror opened, and in my opinion Walt Disney World has yet to top it. It may be the Mouse’s best combination of story, design, effects, and thrills — at least on this continent.
I hoped to take a quick joyride in Aerosmith’s limo, but the line for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was an hour long, and the single rider line stretched out the door and down the ramp.
My quality time with Mr. Tyler will have to wait for another visit; since the attraction is in FastPass+ Tier 1 with Toy Story Mania, more and more guests are using its standby and singles lines. Since I’m impatient, I’ve cut back on my Rock ‘n’ Rollering recently.
On my way down Sunset Boulevard, I noticed these menus placed along the queue in front of the quick-service dining menus. Hopefully these will help guests make up their minds before it is their turn to order.
Here’s what the park’s official wait time tip board looked like in mid-afternoon:
With a little time to kill before my last FastPass+, I took in a few minutes of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, which still boasts some great action but takes far too much labored talking to get there. Then I slipped into the Guardians of the Galaxy preview, a 3-D movie trailer that has taken over the Sounds Dangerous theater.
The preview includes a substantial scene from the film plus an extended trailer, and it ratcheted up my already intense interest in the flick to new fanboy extremes. I was somewhat surprised to see the “Marvel” brand-name used in the preview, as the press information on the attraction had omitted Marvel’s mention, presumably in deference to Universal’s licensing contract. The film clip was presented without any of the 4-D effects included in Anaheim, which could be a legal tactic to avoid being branded an attraction.
Following the film preview, I few off to the Wookie planet with C-3PO and nearly got sonic bombed by Boba Fett before reaching the Rebel base. The simulator technology may be aging, and I’ve long since seen every possible random ride combination, but Star Tours still makes me smile every time it takes me to that galaxy far, far away…
However, it appears I may be in the minority, as my FastPass+ reservation proved entirely unnecessary. Though a 15 minute standby wait was posted, in reality neither queue stretched much beyond the point at which they merged, making FastPass+ pointless here.
Finally, I finished my DHS day with a late lunch at the ABC Commissary, which is frequently overlooked by DHS diners.
I ordered the seafood platter, which turned out to be a decent value by theme park quick service standards: under $10 for a half-dozen fried shrimp, a couple pieces of fried fish, and a plate of fries. That’s cheaper than a similar meal at Magic Kingdom’s Columbia Harbor House, though I think Harbor’s shrimp are more plentiful. The formerly-frozen fish is equally mediocre at either location, and all Disney fries are equally limp. For really good fast food fish and chips, you’ll have to go to Epcot’s UK pavilion, or Universal’s Simpsons or Potter restaurants.
An area Disney dining continues to excel at is inventing irresistible desserts. This Olaf cupcake was almost too adorable to eat…almost.
With a carrot cake base, cream cheese frosting body, dark chocolate arms and rocks, and a white chocolate head, he’s big enough to share, and sweet enough to put you into insulin shock.
In closing, I enjoyed reuniting with some of my old favorites at DHS, and the Frozen sing along restored my faith in Disney’s ability to stage a first-class show on short notice. Besides, neither Studios park has much movie-making content left to speak of, and both are filled with film properties that didn’t originate with their respective companies. Even so, I definitely find more of the innovative thrills and unconventional edibles that personally appeal to me at USF than DHS these days. Universal also appears to be handling its crowds better than before, while Disney is dithering with manual guest management methods in a digital age.
As a lifelong Walt Disney World fan, I’m hoping that Mickey’s empire will soon strike back, and that it won’t be a long, long time before Bothan spies confirm rumors of major new developments for Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
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Park Vue Inn: One of Disneyland’s Best
By Daisy Lauren
I should start by saying I didn’t set out to write a love letter to the Park Vue Inn. I didn’t expect to even like the place that much. I mean, it’s an exterior corridor motel. What could be so special about that? Well, it ends up that a lot is special! Before we jump into things, I want to make sure everyone knows that I paid for my stay, and the hotel staff didn’t know that I’d be blogging about my stay. Sometimes I read reviews from other bloggers and wonder what things would really be like if they didn’t get treated like royalty. Rest assured, I was totally under the radar on my trip!
Location
You’d be hard pressed to find a hotel with a shorter walk to Disneyland. Stepping outside the lobby of the Park Vue Inn you can see the pedestrian entrance to Disneyland just across the road. The photo to the left I took while standing under the Disneyland sign, waiting to cross the street. Of course, your room location could make your walk a bit longer than we experienced. (We were in room 123 if you’d like to request it.) But even at the back of the hotel you’d be closer than at some of the Disney owned properties. One thing to note is that we didn’t see an elevator, so you’ll be lugging your bags up the stairs if you’re on the second floor. Of course, we didn’t take our bags to our room at all. We arrived early in the morning and left our bags with the desk while we visited the parks. When we picked up our keys later in the day, they informed us that our bags were already in the room. It was a nice touch and a service I haven’t received at “nicer” hotels in the area.
Amenities
When I was first looking at this hotel, it seemed too good to be true: free Internet access, free breakfast, free parking, and more. But upon arrival it was all there and better than we expected. We’ve both worked with hotels for most of our careers and have come to expect a “hot” continental breakfast to pretty much mean they have toast. Imagine how impressed we were to see waffles, eggs, potatoes, and sausage? Now, the waffle was an inedible, gummy mess. However, everything else was edible, and the potatoes were downright yummy! There was also yogurt, fresh fruit, toast, bagels, and more. The breakfast was more than sufficient to keep a family fueled for a morning in the parks. The Internet was also speedy enough to get caught up with my favorite YouTubers during our midday breaks. We didn’t use the parking or the pool, but both were what I expected for the area. Starting the very first day I wished I’d packed our bathing suits. That pool looked mighty inviting after being in the heat all day! 
The Room
Remember when I said we’d both spent most of our careers working in hotels? Well, that included my hubby spending a few years as a Director of Housekeeping at a prestigious, high-end, boutique hotel. I normally go to the pool while he inspects our room. (Old habits die hard.) This room was no exception. He gave it a stem to stern inspection and came up with… nothing. Our room was clean as a whistle! That would have been enough for me, but there were also comfortable beds with nice linens and fluffy pillows. The TV was wall mounted and had plenty of channels. The thing that I might have been most excited about was the number of power outlets in the room! I always pack a power strip because I have so many camera batteries in addition to the normal slew of electronics. I didn’t have to use it this trip; they had me covered with multiple outlets and even a couple USB chargers in the room. They’re ready for families and all their gadgets! Lastly, there was a microwave, coffee maker, and mini fridge. Working in hotels I never, ever use the coffee makers (you don’t want to know why), but it was so nice to have the fridge to keep drinks cold.
The Bathroom
I’m a fan of having the sink outside the bathroom in hotel rooms. But if you’re not, be warned that is the setup here. It leaves the bathroom spacious. Our shower was great with high water pressure and a nice shower head. They also weren’t stingy with towels, leaving enough for a family. Ladies be warned: there is no conditioner!!
Here’s a look at the room and bathroom:
http://youtu.be/3fp6n9cABeY?list=UUoZ...
Service
This is where Park Vue really won me over. There’s a difference between service and hospitality. It’s a faint difference, but it matters. It’s in the simple act of people caring. I really felt cared for during my stay. All the employees I encountered went out of their way for us.
Have you stayed at Park Vue Inn? What was your stay like? Do you have any questions about Park Vue? What’s your favorite Disneyland area hotel? Please let us know in the comments below and as always thanks for reading!
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July 31, 2014
Update on Disney’s Polynesian Resort Pool Refurbishment
©Disney
For those of you who are unaware and will be staying at Disney’s Polynesian Resort over the next few months, the Nanea Volcano Pool and Slide are now closed for an extremely lengthy refurbishment. As I previously mentioned, Disney is offering guests staying the resort access to Blizzard Beach Water Park, while work is being done on the pool area.
When the announcement was first made, guests would only be given a one day pass to Blizzard Beach; however, it now appears that has been amended. Now Polynesian guests can choose to visit the water park on any day and will receive complimentary admission throughout their entire stays. In addition, guests will receive a complimentary beach towel, and if a Polynesian guests have purchased resort Rapid Fill refillable mugs, those mugs will have access to the beverage stations at the water park. (So make sure you bring your refillable mugs with you!)
Bus transportation will be provided to guests directly between Blizzard Beach and the Polynesian, and when guests arrive at the front gate of the water park, Polynesian guests must check-in using their MagicBands or RFID room keys.
When Blizzard Beach closes for its refurbishment in the winter (which right now is slated for January 4 through March 14, 2015), guests will instead have access to Typhoon Lagoon. Keep in mind that Polynesian guests will not have access to any other resort pool during this refurbishment work.
During the Volcano Pool refurb, work will be done to create a new aquatic playground with slides for children, a new hot tub, and a larger deck with more seating for guests. The pool is expected to reopen sometime in early 2015.
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Preparing For the Magic: A Timeline Leading to a Stress-Free Disney World Vacation
Hi, I’m Trista. I live far from Disney World, and I’m an Uber Planner when it comes to my Disney vacation. [Hi, Trista.]
Whether you are a planner or not, there are two reasons to use this Disney World vacation planning timeline. The first reason is to make hard-to-get reservations for attractions and dining. While it’s great to be spontaneous, spontaneity is not your friend if you hope to score the Chef’s Table at Victoria & Albert’s, or if you want a short wait time for Toy Story Midway Mania!. These things are difficult to come by at the last minute, even when the parks are at their lowest crowd levels. The second reason to plan ahead is to avoid decision fatigue while you are on vacation. During one day at a theme park, you will be faced with many decisions: which attraction should you head to next? Where should you eat lunch, and when? Is it worth it to stand in line right now for 90 minutes for a meet-n-greet with a favorite character, or is it likely to be better later? For which attractions should you select FastPass+? And many more. I don’t know about you, but I am a person who reaches decision fatigue rather quickly. Once my brain is overloaded, I’ll begin the “blank stare” until I have some down time to recharge (and down time is a commodity that’s difficult to come by on a go-go-go Disney World vacation).
Before you ever step foot on Disney property, you can influence how long you will wait in line for popular attractions and which amazing dining experiences you can have. Follow this simple timeline to make your magical vacation stress-free.
Step 0 – Pick your dates
Erin Foster has a great article on a step by step method for picking the best dates for your Disney vacation. If you want some help deciding which park to visit on which day, the Crowd Calendar feature of TouringPlans.com is a valuable tool (especially if you are as crowd-averse as I am). I’ve found that even 180 days out, the relative crowd predictions for each park are pretty accurate.
Reserve your Disney resort lodging, reserve your park tickets (optional)
6 Months+ to 60 days Prior to Your Vacation (DISNEY RESORT GUESTS)
Shortly after I made my Disney resort reservation for my upcoming trip, Disney sent me this handy magnet in the mail.
If you are certain of your vacation dates at least 6 months in advance, I would recommend making your Disney resort reservation this early. The biggest advantage to early booking is the ability to make Advanced Dining Reservations up to 10 days before the general public (especially helpful for those very popular restaurants with hard-to-get reservations). See the Advanced Dining Reservations section below for details.
If you make make a Disney resort reservations six months prior, it is likely that you will be booking without one of Disney’s Special Offers (such as room-rate savings, a free dining plan offer, etc.) because most offers are not announced that far in advance. If your stay becomes eligible for a Special Offer after you have made your initial reservation, it is easy to have your balance adjusted by simply calling the Disney reservation line with your confirmation number and ask for the Special Offer to be applied. Be sure to act quickly – some deals have limited numbers available, such as limited rooms per resort. (I have had to change resorts once because I called just 3 days after the deal became available and all eligible offers at my first choice resort were taken.) Of course, there is no guarantee that a special offer will become available for your stay, so it is important to familiarize yourself with the cancellation/change policy ahead of booking. A historical record of when Special Offers have been released is a good reference for when offers have traditionally become available.
If you choose not to purchase park tickets through Disney directly, I recommend using a ticket price calculator to find alternate tickets. If you purchase tickets this way, you will need to link your park tickets to your Disney resort reservations prior to making FastPass+ reservations. Remember that regardless of whether you are staying on- or off site, buying your tickets ahead of time is a great way to hedge against future price increases on admission from Disney.
Make your Advanced Dining Reservations (table service dining)
180 Days Prior to the FIRST Day of Your Resort Reservation (DISNEY RESORT GUESTS)
180 Days Prior to Each Day of Your Vacation (OFF-SITE GUESTS)
Advanced Dining Reservations are available 180 days in advance for any Disney guest. With a Disney resort reservation, all Advanced Dining Reservations for the first 10 days of your trip can be made at 180 days prior to the FIRST day of your reservation, which is a big advantage for booking at very popular restaurants. Online reservations begin at 6am Eastern Time, phone reservations begin at 7am Eastern Time at the 180th day.
In my opinion, there are many great table service dining options at Disney World that enhance your Disney vacation. Unfortunately, other people agree, making it necessary most of the time to secure an Advanced Dining Reservation or suffer the fate of a long wait for a table. Making Advanced Dining Reservations early can be very important during peak times, for popular restaurants, during times when free dining plans are offered, and even for some less popular restaurants whose prime dinner slots fill up quickly (and who wants to eat dinner at 2:30pm?). If you are interested in a reservation at Be Our Guest or Cinderella’s Royal Table (for example), you will need to request the reservation the day it becomes available or you will likely be out of luck.
If you want to make Advanced Dining Reservations for restaurants within the theme parks, it will require deciding where you will be on the day of your reservation. Meaning, in order to eat at one of the theme park restaurants, you will need to have a valid park ticket to enter that park. If you have Park Hopper tickets, you can tour and eat at different parks in the same day. But if you have standard tickets, you will need to tour and eat in the same park on the same day. [If you choose to make a dining reservation at any of the Disney resorts, your park choices are not necessary at this time.]
Create your touring plans
When creating touring plans at TouringPlans.com, you can see which attractions are recommended for a FastPass+ reservation. How helpful!
Before 60 Days Prior to Your Vacation (DISNEY RESORT GUESTS)
Before 30 Days Prior to Your Vacation (OFF-SITE GUESTS WITH PARK ADMISSION TICKETS)
If you want to minimize your time in lines at the parks, you will want to hit the attractions when they are not busy by following a touring plan. TouringPlans has an incredible number of recommended touring plans available. Each Touring Plan can be copied and customized, or you can create your own plan from scratch. Even better, you can optimize each touring plan by date (which you have probably determined already if you made Advanced Dining Reservations). The importance of creating touring plans prior to 60 days before your trip (or 30 for off-site guests) is to use them to guide your FastPass+ selections.
Make your FastPass+ selections
60 Days Prior to Your Vacation (DISNEY RESORT GUESTS)
30 Days Prior to Your Vacation (OFF-SITE GUESTS)
This might the last thing you want to be doing at 6am on the day reservations open up, but you will thank yourself later when you sit down to eat at Chef Mickey’s or walk past the crowd in the standby line with a 90 minute wait.
FastPass+ reservations are available at 60 days to guests with Disney resort reservations, at 30 days for other guests with valid park admission tickets, and to walk-in guests the day of admission. First come, first served is the policy here, so selecting early gives you the best picks. If you’ve created touring plans, they will be a great help in determining which attractions (and times) to schedule your Disney FastPass+ selection. (Once you’ve indicated that you’ll be using FastPass+, the touring plan prompts you for recommended attractions to schedule the FastPass+ selection.)
Begin online check-in at your Disney resort
60 Days (DISNEY RESORT GUESTS)
Checking in online will help speed up your check-in time at the resort, but online check-in may become even more important if Disney switches to this new process, allowing guests to bypass the check-in desk at the resort altogether.
With a bit of planning, you can begin your magical vacation stress-free and ready to relax, knowing that you won’t need to worry about those dining reservations and FastPass+ times. If done correctly, the only decision fatigue you will have will be in agonizing over which font to choose for your Mickey Ears.
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Preparing For the Magic: A Timeline Leading to a Stress-Free Disney World Vacation is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Hidden Details of Epcot
There are many reasons why the Disney Parks stand apart from other theme parks around the world, but one of the biggest has to be Disney’s incredible attention to detail. You can see the extra mile in the form of details just about everywhere on Disney property, from attractions to parade costumes to resorts to transportation to even the bathrooms! Personally, I love the details. They are not only appealing to the eye and fun to find, but almost always meaningful to the history of an attraction or to the story the Imagineers are trying to tell. For today’s post, we are focusing on some of the hidden details of Epcot!
Epcot’s Drawbridge
Did you know that a section of World Showcase is actually a drawbridge? If you have been to Epcot, you have surely walked over it but probably didn’t even know it! The purpose for the drawbridge is so that the barges carrying fireworks and the huge globe for Illuminations can pass from the backstage area onto the lagoon. This usually takes place in the afternoon near the Refreshment Outpost. Warning: If you happen to be in this part of World Showcase when the bridge lifts, you may be stranded for a short time!
Epcot’s France Pavilion
Epcot’s France Pavilion is absolutely lovely and picturesque, especially at night. However, the hidden detail we uncovered at this pavilion is near the water, next to the silhouette stand just over the bridge. In addition to an old fashioned camera and a case of postcards and photos is a a box of paintings. If you flip through the canvases, you may discover that a few changes have been made to these masterpieces, like this little reference to Mickey!
Epcot’s Morocco Pavilion is one of our favorites in that there are so many corners and streets to explore. Many guests don’t know that a little museum can be found in this pavilion. It’s not clearly marked and the doors are usually closed, but go ahead and pull it open. You’re allowed!
O’Canada Theater
Inside, you will find exhibits and artifacts native to the Moroccan culture and it’s very interesting! I often use it as a go-to when it rains, as few know about it and it gives me something to do until the weather clears.
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Several World Showcase pavilions, such as the Canada Pavilion, show entertaining films to inform guests about their respective country’s landscape and culture. However, few guests know that the O’Canada Theater is tucked at the very back of the pavilion among the rock work and waterfalls. The theater is meant to resemble a mine; and the waiting area inside truly looks like you’re in a shaft. It also offers another view of the waterfalls and streams! This little hideaway is packed full of details and shouldn’t be missed.
The Seas with Nemo and Friends in Epcot’s Future World is one of our favorite pavilions in the whole park and is home to a massive aquarium that can easily entertain young and old alike for hours. When you pass through the queue for the Finding Nemo dark ride at the pavilion entrance, look up to see the boat which Nemo was dared to touch in the film! Also, in the pavilion’s massive aquarium, look for a Disney character shaped out of rocks at the bottom of the tank. I’ve seen a Mickey in the past; but during my last trip, I discovered a Goofy.
Epcot’s United Kingdom Pavilion
Epcot’s United Kingdom pavilion is packed full of history and details, but for one you may not have noticed, look up! The chimneys atop the shops in the United Kingdom pavilion are dark with soot. This is a clever hidden detail used for historical accuracy and to create the illusion that these chimneys are still working.
Le Cellier Steakhouse
Have you ever been to Epcot in the rain? If you have, think about walking under Spaceship Earth. You didn’t get wet, did you? It would make sense though that rainwater would flow down the grooves and onto the people below, but it doesn’t! This is due to a special system in Spaceship Earth which collects the water so that guests don’t get soaked entering and exiting the park, a truly hidden detail!
One of the most popular restaurants in all of Epcot, and one of my personal favorites, is Canada’s Le Cellier Steakhouse. This delicious restaurant is known for its filet mignon and Cheddar Cheese Soup. What guests probably don’t know is that each section of this restaurant is themed after a Canadian province. Be sure to ask your waiter or waitress about the history of the province in which you are dining, as well as what province they are from. It’s very interesting!
So these are just a few of the many details to be discovered at Epcot. Which of these have you found? Do you have a favorite?
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Two New Events Added to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival
©Disney
Today is the day you can begin to book events for the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival! With that, Disney has released information on two brand new special events that have been added to the roster– the Epcot Food and Wine Festival – Late Nights LIVE! street party and the Epcot Food and Wine Festival Premium Package.
The Epcot Food and Wine Festival Premium Package is available for guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort (or at the Swan or Dolphin) from 12:00 noon until 8:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday from September 22 through November 6. The package will cost $199, plus tax (plus Epcot admission will be required). It will include an in-room gift with wine (for those who are 21 and older); a festival wine glass; truffles; and a special Epcot International Food & Wine Festival MagicBand plus a $50 Disney Gift Card!
Guests will also receive credentials for the “Premium Package Areas” which will give them access to 10 VIP areas situated around the World Showcase Promenade where guests will be able to order items from select Marketplaces and have them actually delivered to you! (Which is nice because some of those Marketplaces, those lines can be extremely long!) In addition, guests will be able to bring marketplace treats from other booths into the Premium Package Areas and just relax. Also included in this Premium Package will be one admission to Epcot Food & Wine Festival – Late Nights LIVE!
Speaking of Epcot Food and Wine Festival – Late Nights LIVE!, this street party will take place Tuesdays and Thursdays during the festival, from 9:45 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. The event will include six tastes (food and beverages) from select marketplaces (Greece, Hawaii and Desserts & Champagne will be constants, while the three will change throughout the festival), live music, a DJ, and other additional entertainment offerings. The street party will be located between the United Kingdom Pavilion and World Showcase Plaza. The cost of this event is $79, plus tax for those who are not taking part in the Epcot Food and Wine Festival Premium Event. As a nice bonus, admission to Epcot will not be required, if entering the park after 9:00 p.m. If a guest wants to enter prior to 9:00 p.m., then Epcot admission is required.
To book either of these events (or any of the events that went on sale today), call 407-939-1889.
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Disney Dining: Disney World’s Best Pricey Meals
By Dora
Copyright – Disney
Sure, Chef Gusteau had it right… anyone can cook. But sometimes, isn’t it nice to let someone else do all the mise en place-ery and take care of the dishes? As much as my husband and I love Disney World for the atmosphere, the attractions, the getting unnecessarily teared up because you met Ariel and she was literally the first movie you remember going to oh noes am I crying DON’T LOOK AT ME, we also love it for the food in a big, big way. Living less than an hour away, we always make a point to plan our trip around where we’re going to eat, and over the years Disney World has provided us with some truly amazing meals. Don’t get me wrong… I love a good burger and fries, and few things are finer than a big plate of buffalo chicken wings. Sometimes, though, you want to try something different. You don’t have to visit during Epcot’s annual Food and Wine festival for some primo nosh, and if you’re willing to spend a little more, Disney dining can be decadent and delicious in ways you might not expect.
Victoria & Albert’s
Copyright – Disney
It’s only fitting that we start this list off with a heavy hitter, and the Grand Floridian Hotel’s Victoria & Albert’s is one of those places you never forget, largely because you’re still traumatized from the last time you looked at the bill. The prices start at $135.00 USD per guest for the Prix Fixe Menu, and they only get higher if you want wine pairings or the staggering ten course menu in Queen Victoria’s Room (don’t worry, I told her you’d be cool). The high cost is not without value, however… recipents of AAA’s Five Diamond Award, a Four Star rating from Forbes Travel Guide, and many, many other reviews, this restaurant is serious business when it comes to making you feel like you got your money’s worth. Formal attire is required in the form of a dinner jacket for sirs and a dress or “pants ensemble” for madams, but once you sit down to the soft sounds of the harpist (who can totally play The Beatles, by the way) and the knowledgeable servers begin to walk you through choosing your seven course menu, you’re not going to care what you’re wearing.
Each course has several options, typically including an extra option for an additional cost such as wild turbot, and everything is prepared fresh. Braised oxtail and cherry ravioli with roasted red peppers? Sometimes I still lie awake at night thinking about it, a single tear trickling down my cheek. Hawaiian Kona chocolate souffle? So warm, so rich, you’ll want to keep your fork handy to stab anyone who dares try to sneak a bite. (Like a lady, mind.) Not a “foodie”? Hey, neither am I, but after some coaxing At the end of the meal, you’ll be given personalized menus as mementos, including a long stem red rose, and a special treat. With a special vegetarian menu, optional wine pairings, and an ambitious number of courses, it has everything you need to make that special night even more unforgettable… even if it doesn’t come with the wheelbarrow it should to roll you to your car when you’ve feasted. We’ve been here twice… once on our honeymoon, and again on our fifth anniversary, and I keep looking for excuses to come back. Maybe we’ll see each other there. You’ll be enjoying your wild chicken with mushroom gnocchi… you’ll look over… and our eyes will meet… because I’ll be outside in the bushes watching you through the window and vicariously enjoying it through you.
California Grill
Copyright – Disney
Situated within Disney World’s Contemporary Resort, the California Grill is Disney dining for people who want a high quality meal… and a show. Though the lounge offers first-come, first-served seating and the bar has some of the best sushi you’ll find, don’t expect to just walk up to this place without a reservation. I mean… it’s got its own elevator. Though it does have a dress code, it’s a lot less restrictive than others, and mostly comes down not dressing like you either came out of a pool or are about to spend eight hours sweating in a theme park. It’s only open for dinner, but hey, you’re going to want to be here in the evening anyway, because not only are the fireworks from Magic Kingdom right in your face and easily visible from all the beautiful windows, any accompanying music or dialogue is also piped into the restaurant. Want to get even closer? Go stand outside and watch them from the rooftop!
As for the food, well… despite not being as pricey as Victoria & Albert’s, we’re still talking about a place where the cheapest appetizer is fourteen bucks, and an entree will run you anywhere from thirty-four to fifty dollars apiece. While dinner doesn’t offer any particularly adventurous food creations (caramel pecan chicken in a reduced balsamic foam!), this is the place to go if you want delicious food cooked to perfection. Fish that perfectly flakes at the touch of your fork. Chicken that’s always moist and tender. Artisanal cheeses I can’t offer any opinion on because I am a cheese wuss but my husband seemed to like them. Fresh made ravioli you’ll want to eat, like, a dozen of. It’s just elegant enough to make an evening out with your family feel special no matter what the occasion, and you’ll be dreaming about how tender that steak was and how perfectly the sauce paired with it for the rest of your trip.
Via Napoli
Copyright – Disney
Located in Epcot in the Italy pavilion, this authentic Italian restaurant may lean towards the least costly of all the places on the list, but if you’re used to or just prefer the concept of pizza as something you get for under twenty bucks with some breadsticks (which, hey, is perfectly awesome in its own right), the costs here might seem a bit steep. Hey, if you want authentic wood-fired pizza with sauce so fresh you can literally taste the garden in it, that’s what you’re going to get here. Because of the way the pizza is cooked and prepared, it’s traditional for it to come out with the crust darker in places than you might expect, which means it might be a tough sell for any kids who refuse to touch anything that “looks burnt” unless you ask for it to be pulled from the oven earlier. The actual menu is very traditional, with everything from lasagne verde to veal dishes, but the build-your-own option for pizza as well as choices like classic Caesar salads or chicken parmigiana means there should be something for just about everyone. Though most of the appetizers are on the small side, many of them are presented in such a way that makes sharing easy, so don’t be afraid to try a few different things.
The downsides? Well, apart from the fact that the restaurant’s cavernous design means it gets really really noisy, the pizza doesn’t really “travel” well, so while you can get a box to take the rest of it back to your room, don’t be surprised if it’s a floppy slice of mush. The pizzas here aren’t as heavy as many American pizzas are, however, so with the lighter crust, sauce, and cheese, don’t be surprised if you devour the whole thing in a single sitting. Smaller parties of two or three might be able to get in without a reservation if you’re willing to wait a bit, but at busier times of the season, you’ll want to book ahead if you have your heart set on a slice. Which you should, since this is hands down the best pizza you’re going to find at Disney World. (I’d tell you about the worst, which I’ve had, but first we need to turn off the lights and find a flashlight for me to hold under my chin because it’s that scary.)
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Copyright – Disney
I admit it. I’ve never been a Cinderella fan. I have nothing against the old girl, I just more grew up wanting to be Spider-Woman, or Donna Noble, or, if I’d been born more recently, probably Twilight Sparkle. But there’s just something about this place, located, yes, in Cinderella’s Castle at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, that makes you a little bit squealy and twitterpated regardless of how cynical and aloof you pride yourself on being. It is technically considered a Character Dining experience, since you’ll most likely end up seeing the Fairy Godmother and some of the mice, to say nothing of the keepsake photo op you get with Cinderella herself before dinner, but even if the idea of being roped into audience participation makes you quiver a little, you must persist, because gentle reader, the food. Instead of being priced per item, you’ll be charged a flat fee per person, and choose your appetizer, entree, and desert from the menu. The items tend to be hearty faire prepared with care and top-notch ingredients… shrimp and grits, chicken and risotto, beef tenderloin and heirloom tomatoes, aaaaaghlaglagl… oh, uh. Sorry. Went all Homer Simpson on you for a second there. I’m not vegetarian, and I still found myself choosing most of their vegetarian options when my husband and I visited, because they were just that good. Sadly, the garden fresh spring rolls I enjoyed so much no longer appear to be on the menu. R.I.P spring rolls. You were too beautiful for this world.
What’s great about Cinderella’s Royal Table is how it really delivers the quintessential Disney dining experience. The characters aren’t around all the time or obtrusive (and can take a polite hint if you want to be left alone), but having them there while you’re surrounded by the sort of incredibly detailed architecture and design Disney is known for, being able to look out the turret windows and watch the park far below, while you’re sitting in Cinderella’s freaking Castle, is kind of a surreal yet amazing experience. It’s the sort of thing you might look at if you didn’t have children and expect it to be “for” kids, but it really, really isn’t. While it’s definitely expensive, Cinderella’s Royal Table is more accurately “for” anyone who’s looking for a Disneyfied dining experience that feels truly special… and tastes really great, too.
Kona Cafe
Copyright – Disney
There’s just something about Disney’s Polynesian Resort that really captures that vacation feel, if you know what I mean, from the bobbing tropical flora to the sandy beach where you can watch the fireworks after sunset in a hammock. So it’s sort of weird, then, that there’s just something about the Kona Cafe that, well, makes you feel at home. It’s a very casual, laid-back experience, with comfy booths and island decor that just sort of encourages you to sit back, relax, and take your time with your meal instead of trying to hurry back to the park. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and don’t expect to just be able to walk up and be seated without a reservation. Despite the casual appearance, this place can get very busy, but the good news is that if you want something other than American or Italian food, it’s also very worth it. Grab a pot of the French press Kona coffee, pick out a couple different appetizers (because you’re going to want to share and try everything), and settle in for a delicious meal.
Not only does the menu offer everything from pan-seared duck breast to wok-tossed noodle dishes, it changes depending on what time of day you go. Stop in for breakfast (provided you have someone to carry you out from your carb coma) and enjoy the rich and filling Tonga Toast, a massive fresh-prepared omelet, or the macadamia-pineapple pancakes that are so huge you won’t be able to eat more than one, but so delicious you’ll darned well try. Or come in for lunch before an afternoon on the beach, and fill up on piles of sticky wings, pot stickers, and fish or pulled pork tacos. Kona Cafe is a great choice no matter what you’re in the mood for… just don’t expect to be able to move after. I bet if you ask nice, they’ll get a shovel and sort of nudge you out onto the beach.
Le Cellier Steakhouse
Copyright – Disney
I’ll be honest with you, gentle reader. I’m of two minds of Le Cellier. On the one hand, the restaurant, located inside Canada at Epcot, is probably one of the most expensive sit-down dinners you can have in a Disney World park, and if you’re the sort of person that salivates at the thought of a big hunk of meat and some creamy mashed potatoes, you’re probably going to enjoy it a lot. On the other hand, it’s also so hyped that the huge expectations generated by how hard people try to get in there (with reservations being notoriously difficult to make at times) might actually work against it. Make no mistake, the menu is a carnivore’s dream. Everything from filet mignon to wild salmon, sirloin, and even succulent Wagyu short rib is on offer, served with rich sides like smoked bacon and spinach risotto or carmelized onion pastry. The poutine is absolutely delicious, with thick gravy, fresh made fries, and melting cheeses, though if you’re actually from Canada like myself and are used to it being a more simplified pub item the cost and the ingredients might come as a surprise. If you do order it, don’t expect to finish it all by yourself… though you’ll try, bless your heart, and possibly ignore anything else you ordered until it’s gone.
Unfortunately, Le Cellier is never not insanely busy, and if you’re a small party like my husband and I were, you may find yourself crammed at one of the smaller tables in an awkward location. Pressure to turn tables over is high, and the wait staff can often seem like they’re trying to rush you through your meal. Still, the beautiful design is a sight to behold, and if you’re going with a group of people, the variety of menu items is sure to please, and you can bet they’ll all be cooked to perfection… though vegetarians might find themselves limited to pasta and a salad. Well, “steakhouse” is right there in the name, after all. You’ll need to put on your war paint and be parked at your computer the morning of the day reservations open up for your trip and start refreshing like a lunatic if you have your heart set on a specific date and time, but hey, if you’re a Disney warrior, that’s probably part of your morning routine by now.
This, of course, is by no means a definitive list, just one based on our own experiences and travels. It’s also not to say the kiosks and counter service meals at Disney World should be avoided, since a sandwich at Sunshine Seasons in Epcot followed by a trek to the kiosk in China where they’re serve you a slurpee made from raspberry and green teas (or a drink made of chilled coffee, tea, and whiskey if you’re rad) is one of the finest meals you can have. The point of all this was to say… eating at Disney can be expensive. But if you don’t mind bending the bank a little, and you’re looking for something extra special, Disney World has something for everyone to ensure you leave happy. Possibly a few pounds heavier and fighting your loved one over the contents of your takehome box… but definitely happy.
Copyright – Disney
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New Universal Orlando Two Day/Two Park Touring Plans
2½ hours is considered a moderate wait at Gringotts! Be prepared with our new Universal Orlando two day/two park touring plans. (Photos by Seth Kubersky)
If you are planning to devote a day of your vacation to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you’ll quickly discover that there is more to do at Universal Orlando’s park than can be covered in dozen hours. We’ve had a great response to our recently published Diagon Alley touring plan and one day/two park touring plans, which I encourage you to read if you haven’t already. But an even better way to experience everything Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure has to offer is with these new Universal Orlando two day/two park touring plans.
The good news for guests just now getting to Gringotts is that the ride is running much more reliably and with greater capacity than only a couple weeks ago; as a result, standby wait times are peaking in the morning at half their former 450-minute high-water, and dropping to 120 or less by late afternoon. There is still a rush to Diagon Alley every morning, resulting in a queue to enter London for early arrivers. But the return time tickets are rarely needed any more, and crowd control barricades around the area have been vanishing by lunchtime.
Note that these new two-day/two-park touring plans have been optimized to account for the recent reduction in operating hours, and should scale well with diminishing crowds as hours are reduced further this fall. As always, we’ll continue refining our plans using the latest data, and subscribers can edit and evaluate them for themselves by personalizing a copy of our premium plans. (Be sure to look for a link to Part 2 at the top of the plan, and make a copy of each part.)
These plans are designed for guests purchasing park-to-park tickets; those with single-park tickets should use our one-day/one-park plans. Also, while the plans are labeled “day 1″ and “day 2″ they may be used in any order; general admission guests who are eager to ride Gringotts may want to use day 2 first.
Universal Orlando Two Day/Two Park Touring Plan for Early Entry
For visitors whose top touring priority is Harry Potter (or anyone who wants to experience Gringotts with less than a 2 hour wait), our #1 suggestion is to stay at an onsite hotel in order to secure early entry into the Wizarding World. This perk, which allows you inside select areas of the parks an hour before the general public, is worth its weight in goblin gold, especially since Universal Express passes (given free to guests of the 3 upscale onsite properties) aren’t valid for the Forbidden Journey or any new Diagon Alley attractions. It is also possible to book an offsite hotel package through Universal Vacations that includes early entry, but you’ll pay a premium for the privilege, and have to contend with getting to the resort early enough to make it worthwhile.
Early Entry is available to all eligible guests every morning at both parks, with no restrictions (at this time) on which hotel guests can get into Diagon Alley on any given day. The only attractions operating during the Entry Entry hours are the Wizarding World rides (including the Hogwarts Express), plus Despicable Me at USF and Cat in the Hat at IoA. [Note: On days when one park opens an hour before the other, the Hogwarts Express doesn't begin running until Early Entry starts at the second park.]
As a result, a substantial proportion of the guests in Universal’s 4000 hotel rooms descend upon Diagon Alley and Gringotts as soon as the gates open. Therefore, if you want to participate in Early Entry, you must be on a bus or boat as soon as the resort transportation begins operating, 2 hours prior to official park opening.
Note that this plan is designed for guests without Express passes, such as those staying at Cabana Bay. Guests staying at the three luxury hotels with free Express access will be able to deviate freely from the touring plan after completing the early entry steps, and should encounter minimal waits at most attractions.
Universal Orlando Two Day/Two Park Touring Plan for Early Entry Day 1
Secure your park admission at least the day before your visit, either online or at your hotel’s ticket sales desk.
Be waiting for the first bus or boat from your hotel, which should depart 120 minutes before the published public opening time. If you are staying at the Hard Rock Hotel it is quickest to walk via the path from the main pool.
Arrive at the front gates of Universal Studios Florida at least 110 minutes before the published public opening time, or 50 minutes before early entry begins.
Line up at the shortest available turnstile queue; ask a team member if you’re unsure which ones will be open.
Once admitted to the park, proceed straight past Despicable Me, showing your hotel room key card to the employees stationed there. You will be held near the Shrek attraction, then walked through World Expo to the queue outside Fear Factor Live. Be cautious while walking; barricades near Simpsons and MEN IN BLACK serve as “pinch points” and can be hard to see through the moving crowd until you are pushed up against them.
Enter London through the gateway outside Grimmauld Place, and approach the entrance to Diagon Alley, disguised as the Leicester Square subway station.
Once inside Diagon Alley, if Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is operating, get in line for the ride. You may be diverted to the right through Carkitt Market to avoid congesting the main thoroughfare; otherwise, make a beeline for the bank below the fire-breathing dragon.
By the time you exit Gringotts, Early Entry should be nearly over. Exit Diagon Alley towards King’s Cross Station, then cross through San Francisco towards the front of the park.
Get to Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit just as the park is officially opening and be among the first to ride it.
Exit Rockit towards the central lagoon and ride Transformers.
Turn left out of Transformers to New York and ride Revenge of the Mummy.
After exiting the Mummy, walk back towards Diagon Alley and continue past it to ride MEN IN BLACK.
Head straight out of the MEN IN BLACK gift shop to The Simpsons Ride.
Exit Springfield to the left and continue towards the front of the park to Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem. This will be a long wait, but it isn’t much better minutes after opening, and won’t drop significantly until closing time.
Return to Springfield and have an early lunch at Fast Food Boulevard. If you prefer a sit-down meal, try Finnegan’s in New York.
Bear left out of Springfield into Kidzone, and experience The E.T. Adventure.
Exit E.T. to the left and continue clockwise around the lagoon to San Francisco in time for the next showing of Beetlejuice’s Graveyard Mash-Up. (Switch with the next step if showtime is imminent.)
See the nearby Disaster! before or after the Beetlejuice show, depending on the time.
Return to the London waterfront area and ride the Hogwarts Express train to Islands of Adventure. If using Lines, switch to Part 2 of this plan.
Head left from Hogsmeade Station through the Lost Continent, and explore Seuss Landing.
Ride the Seuss Trolley.
Ride the Caro-Seuss-el.
Ride One Fish Two Fish.
Ride The Cat in the Hat.
Cross through Port of Entry to Marvel Super Hero Island and ride Storm Force Accelatron.
Walk through Toon Lagoon on your way to Jurassic Park.
Explore Camp Jurassic and the Jurassic Park Discovery Center.
Return to Lost Continent in time for a late afternoon showing of the Sinbad Stunt Show (or feel free to skip it).
Spent some time chatting with the Mystic Fountain outside Sinbad stadium.
Enter Hogsmeade and ride the Dragon Challenge if you dare.
Have dinner at The Three Broomsticks.
After dinner, explore the shops and windows of Hogsmeade.
Ride Fight of the Hippogriff.
Following your flight, walk next door to Hogwarts Castle and brave the Forbidden Journey inside. If this is not your first ride on Forbidden Journey, use the single rider line. Alternatively, request a “castle tour” to experience the queue, then exit or ask to transfer to singles.
Enjoy the evening atmosphere in Hogsmeade, and explore the hidden details of the islands as you exit.
Universal Orlando Two Day/Two Park Touring Plan for Early Entry Day 2
Arrive at the front gates of Islands of Adventure at least 75-90 minutes before the published public opening time, or 15-30 minutes before early entry begins.
Line up at the shortest available turnstile queue; ask a team member if you’re unsure which ones will be open.
Follow team members directions through Seuss Landing to Hogsmeade, and ride Forbidden Journey again.
Ride Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogriff again if you want.
Return to the front of the park before official park opening, and ride The Incredible Hulk roller-coaster.
Continue through Marvel Super Hero Island and experience The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.
Backtrack to ride Doctor Doom’s Fearfall using the single rider entrance in the arcade.
Walk to Toon Lagoon and ride Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls.
Assuming you want to get even wetter, ride Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges.
Enter Jurassic Park and complete the soaking series with the River Adventure.
Cross the bridge to Lost Continent (or cut through Hogsmeade if it is closed) and see Poseidon’s Fury.
Eat lunch at Mythos (make reservations in advance at opentable.com).
After lunch ride the Hogwarts Express back to Universal Studios Florida, and switch to Part 2 of this day’s plan.
Check the scheduled times for the Blues Brothers Show, Animal Actors, and Horror Make-Up Shows. Try to arrange to see all three, with the last performance starting around 5 p.m.
Between the shows, see Twister, Shrek 4-D and Terminator 2.
Return to Diagon Alley and explore the shops and sights, starting with Olivanders Wand Shop, and wait for the show inside. The experience is virtually identical to the annex found in Hogsmeade, but there are three performance spaces so the line should moves at triple the pace; you should rarely wait more than 10 minutes for a show. After the show, purchase an interactive wand if you want to play with the magical effects hidden around the Wizarding World.
At a shop in Carkitt Market you can exchange your Muggle money for Wizarding bank notes, which may be spent throughout the resort. The interactive animatronic goblin in the queue makes this literally the world’s most entertaining and elaborate cash grab; the wait here is usually around 15 minutes.
Head down Horizont Alley to find the entry to Knockturn Alley. Explore the shop Borgin & Burkes, and the other dark corners concealed therein. Be sure to look at the map that came with your interactive wand under the blacklight in here to discover hidden messages.
Browse the other shops in Diagon Alley, starting with Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes, Magical Menagerie, and Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions. There may be queues for most of the stores, but you should be able to enter Wiseacre’s Wizarding Supplies at any time, since it serves as the exit to Gringotts.
Be on the lookout for two live shows performing throughout the day. One is a musical appearance by magical jazz songstress Celestina Warbeck; the other is a reenactment of the “Three Brothers” fable from The Tales of Beedle the Bard (as seen in the seventh film), retold with Michael Curry-designed puppets. Showtimes are not posted, but the acts should alternate every half hour on the hour and half.
Have dinner at the Leaky Cauldron. Eat an early meal to avoid crowds, but even at peak times the line moves swiftly.
If you want ice cream for dessert, grab a scoop from Florean Fortescue’s. You may also want to try the elixir powders and gillywater sold in Carkitt Market, or the specialty beers and non-alcoholic cocktails at the Fountain of Fair Fortune and Hopping Pot.
If you want another ride on Gringotts, get in the single rider queue before it closes for the night. This may happen as early as 2 or 3 hours before park closing, depending on how long the standby queue is.
Once you’ve exhausted the entertainment in Diagon Alley, exit into London. Chat with the Knight Bus conductor and his shrunken heads on your way out of Diagon Alley. Also look for Kreacher in the window of 12 Grimmauld Place, and dial 62442 (MAGIC) in the red telephone booth.
Revisit any attractions outside Diagon Alley that you skipped earlier or wish to repeat.
Find a spot along the lagoon to watch the Cinematic Spectacular show five or ten minutes before the performances. Good vantage points can be found near London, Beetlejuice, Transformers, and in Central Park.
A good Touring Plan may mean the difference between standing in this…
…or this!
Universal Orlando Two Day/Two Park Touring Plan for General Admission
Diagon Alley will already be full of early entrants no matter what time offsite guests arrive. Early birds without Early Entry should therefore avoid the herd heading to queue outside London, and instead take advantage of lower waits in the rest of the park while saving Potter for the evening.
Note that this plan is designed for guests without Express passes. It therefore requires a lot of “bouncing around” and criss-crossing the park in order to stay ahead of the building standby queues. Guests who purchase Express access will be able to deviate freely from the touring plan after completing the early entry steps, and should encounter minimal waits at most attractions.
Universal Orlando Two Day/Two Park Touring Plan for General Admission Day 1
Secure your admission ticket before arriving at the resort, preferably online. If you purchased tickets though universal’s website, you may use a credit card to retrieve your tickets from the automated will-call kiosks outside the entrance. Whatever you do, don’t waste time on the morning of your visit lining up at the ticket booths.
Arrive at the front gates of Universal Studios Florida at least 30 to 45 minutes before the published public opening time. Leave at least 15 to 20 minutes to park your car and walk through CityWalk from the parking garage.
Line up at the shortest available turnstile queue.
Once admitted to the park, the majority of day guests will turn right down Hollywood Boulevard to await entry to Diagon Alley. Instead, proceed straight past Despicable Me and ride Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit as soon as the attraction opens.
Exit Rockit towards the central lagoon and ride Transformers.
Turn left out of Transformers to New York and ride Revenge of the Mummy.
After exiting the Mummy, walk back towards Diagon Alley and continue past it to ride MEN IN BLACK.
Head straight out of the MEN IN BLACK gift shop to The Simpsons Ride.
Exit Springfield to the left and continue towards the front of the park to Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem. This will be a long wait, but it isn’t much better minutes after opening, and won’t drop significantly until closing time.
Return to Springfield and have an early lunch at Fast Food Boulevard. If you prefer a sit-down meal, try Finnegan’s in New York.
Bear left out of Springfield into Kidzone, and experience The E.T. Adventure.
Exit E.T. to the left and continue clockwise around the lagoon to San Francisco in time for the next showing of Beetlejuice’s Graveyard Mash-Up. (Switch with the next step if showtime is imminent.)
See the nearby Disaster! before or after the Beetlejuice show, depending on the time.
Return to the London waterfront area and ride the Hogwarts Express train to Islands of Adventure. If using Lines, switch to Part 2 of this plan.
Head left from Hogsmeade Station through the Lost Continent, and explore Seuss Landing.
Ride the Seuss Trolley.
Ride the Caro-Seuss-el.
Ride One Fish, Two Fish.
Ride The Cat in the Hat.
Cross through Port of Entry to Marvel Super Hero Island and ride Storm Force Accelatron.
Walk through Toon Lagoon on your way to Jurassic Park.
Explore Camp Jurassic and the Jurassic Park Discovery Center.
Return to Lost Continent in time for a late afternoon showing of the Sindbad Stunt Show (or feel free to skip it).
Spent some time chatting with the Mystic Fountain outside Sindbad stadium.
Enter Hogsmeade and ride the Dragon Challenge if you dare.
Have dinner at The Three Broomsticks.
After dinner, explore the shops and windows of Hogsmeade.
Ride Fight of the Hippogriff.
Following your flight, walk next door to Hogwarts Castle and brave the Forbidden Journey inside. If this is not your first ride on Forbidden Journey, use the single rider line. Alternatively, request a “castle tour” to experience the queue, then exit or ask to transfer to singles.
Enjoy the evening atmosphere in Hogsmeade, and explore the hidden details of the islands as you exit.
Universal Orlando Two Day/Two Park Touring Plan for General Admission Day 2
Arrive at the front gates of Islands of Adventure at least 30-45 minutes before the published public opening time.
Line up at the shortest available turnstile queue; ask a team member if you’re unsure which ones will be open.
Follow team members directions through Port of Entry to the left, and ride The Incredible Hulk roller-coaster.
Continue through Marvel Super Hero Island and experience The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.
Backtrack to ride Doctor Doom’s Fearfall using the single rider entrance in the arcade.
Walk to Toon Lagoon and ride Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls.
Assuming you want to get even wetter, ride Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges.
Enter Jurassic Park and complete the soaking series with the River Adventure.
Ride Forbidden Journey again, using the single rider line.
Ride Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogriff again if you want.
Cross the bridge to Lost Continent (or cut through Hogsmeade if it is closed) and see Poseidon’s Fury.
Eat lunch at Mythos (make reservations in advance at opentable.com).
After lunch ride the Hogwarts Express back to Universal Studios Florida, and switch to Part 2 of this day’s plan.
Check the scheduled times for the Blues Brothers Show, Animal Actors, and Horror Make-Up Shows. Try to arrange to see all three, with the last performance starting around 5 p.m.
Between the shows, see Twister, Shrek 4-D and Terminator 2.
Return to Diagon Alley and explore the shops and sights, starting with Olivanders Wand Shop, and wait for the show inside. The experience is virtually identical to the annex found in Hogsmeade, but there are three performance spaces so the line should moves at triple the pace; you should rarely wait more than 10 minutes for a show. After the show, purchase an interactive wand if you want to play with the magical effects hidden around the Wizarding World.
At a shop in Carkitt Market you can exchange your Muggle money for Wizarding bank notes, which may be spent throughout the resort. The interactive animatronic goblin in the queue makes this literally the world’s most entertaining and elaborate cash grab; the wait here is usually around 15 minutes.
Head down Horizont Alley to find the entry to Knockturn Alley. Explore the shop Borgin & Burkes, and the other dark corners concealed therein. Be sure to look at the map that came with your interactive wand under the blacklight in here to discover hidden messages.
Browse the other shops in Diagon Alley, starting with Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes, Magical Menagerie, and Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions. There may be queues for most of the stores, but you should be able to enter Wiseacre’s Wizarding Supplies at any time, since it serves as the exit to Gringotts.
Be on the lookout for two live shows performing throughout the day. One is a musical appearance by magical jazz songstress Celestina Warbeck; the other is a reenactment of the “Three Brothers” fable from The Tales of Beedle the Bard (as seen in the seventh film), retold with Michael Curry-designed puppets. Showtimes are not posted, but the acts should alternate every half hour on the hour and half.
Have dinner at the Leaky Cauldron. Eat an early meal to avoid crowds, but even at peak times the line moves swiftly.
If you want ice cream for dessert, grab a scoop from Florean Fortescue’s. You may also want to try the elixir powders and gillywater sold in Carkitt Market, or the specialty beers and non-alcoholic cocktails at the Fountain of Fair Fortune and Hopping Pot.
Get in line for Gringotts before the doors close for the night. This may happen as early as 2 or 3 hours before park closing, depending on how long the standby queue is.
Once you’ve exhausted the entertainment in Diagon Alley, exit into London. Chat with the Knight Bus conductor and his shrunken heads on your way out of Diagon Alley. Also look for Kreacher in the window of 12 Grimmauld Place, and dial 62442 (MAGIC) in the red telephone booth.
Revisit any attractions outside Diagon Alley that you skipped earlier or wish to repeat.
Find a spot along the lagoon to watch the Cinematic Spectacular show five or ten minutes before the performances. Good vantage points can be found near London, Beetlejuice, Transformers, and in Central Park.
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