Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1208
July 23, 2014
Disney Cruise Line Alaska Quick Tips
By Erin Foster
Ahoy mateys! I’m back from my first trip to Alaska via Disney Cruise Line. In upcoming posts, new Touring Plans blogger Kristi Fredericks and I will be back with tips on activities, excursions, and pre/post cruise hotel options. But in the meantime, I thought I’d share a few quick tips to whet your whistle, pique your interest, and otherwise get you ready for the frozen fun ahead.
Vancouver
The Disney Wonder port terminal is directly adjacent to Canada Place, a large convention center. Several of the Canada Place coffee shops and snack bars offer free WiFi to their customers. If you’re in need of a last minute Internet fix, grab a cup of coffee with a view of the ship before heading into the terminal where online access can be spotty.
A primary attraction at Canada Place is “FlyOver Canada.” This is Soarin’, but with footage of Canadian points of interest rather than shots of California. It ain’t cheap (adults are $19.95, students over age 18 are $17.95, and kids are $14.95, plus tax) for a 10-ish minute ride, but the Disney geek in me felt compelled to compare/contrast the experience to that at Epcot and Disney’s California Adventure. The similarity to Soarin’ was almost shocking; the seating is the same, the lift is the same, even the pre-show safety video is similar. My husband and daughter ended up preferring Soarin’ because the music is better and they like the Smell-O-Vision orange groves in the California version, but I (please don’t take away my WDW annual pass when I say this) think I prefer the Canadian experience. The wind simulation is used to better effect in Canada, the screen is wider/taller in Canada, and most importantly, the film print is totally clean in Canada, so your immersion in the experience is not diluted by specks of dust flying over the countryside.
The Granville Island market is a must-do for any Vancouver visitor, but Disney geeks will find special pleasure in knowing that among the displays of fresh salmon, spiced nuts, and exotic fruits, you can find a vendor selling actual real live Dole Whip. Look for a vendor called The Milkman. Enjoy!
Dole Whip in Vancouver
Unlike the somewhat confusing and inefficient town to airport public transportation options in my home town of New York, the Vancouver public subway/rail system is easy to understand, clean, and efficient. If you’re not burdened by copious amounts of luggage, the easiest/fastest/cheapest way to get from the airport to the port is likely public transit. Direct point to point takes about 25 minutes and costs about $7.00, depending on the day of the week.
At the Vancouver airport, the international departures area near gates numbered in the 70s and 80s currently features several large display cases with vintage Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Pluto toys dating from the 1930s to present day – think variations on Pez and Happy Meal offerings, but hundreds of them.
The Starbucks in the Vancouver airport (and presumably elsewhere in the region) serves an uber-Canadian treat, the Maple Macchiato. It’s like a vanilla macchiato, but with an ample drizzle of maple topping made with “real Canadian Maple Syrup found from the Beauce-Appalanche region of Quebec.” Presumably this is no great shakes for you native Canadians out there, but honestly, this small detail was the thing that made this American most feel like Canada was actually another country.
The Vancouver airport will not allow you to check in on site prior to three hours before your trip. Nor, for international flights, will they allow you check in when there are fewer than 60 minutes before your flight. Timing is critical here.
While on the Ship
Pending good weather, the second full day at sea is typically a visit to the Tracy Arm Fjord.
Expect the ship to be in the vicinity of the glacier for several hours from late morning until mid afternoon. During this time, most guests will find a way to be out on the decks. Do not expect that you will be able to sit in a deck chair (unless you’re in a veranda cabin) and have a good view because the railing area will be packed. Chances are you’ll be on your feet for a few hours. Wear comfortable shoes.
I would have missed these guys if I had stayed on a higher deck.
Tracy Arm day was the coldest of my trip. There are fleece airline-style blankets provided near the poolside towel displays. These don’t provide tons of warmth, but they may give you five minutes of peace if your kids are getting uppity.
Unlimited coffee, tea, and hot cocoa are available for free near on deck nine. During Tracy Arm day, when many guest are outdoors in the cold for an extended period of time, a cast member makes a periodic lap around the deck with a liquor cart so that you can turn your coffee into an Irish coffee. You will, of course, pay for the booze, but it’s a nice touch.
Every resource about cruising and Alaska will tell you to bring binoculars for Tracy Arm day. I generally concur with this, but you really don’t need to bring a pair for every member of the family (as we did). They sell decent binoculars on the ship if you’re stuck. Also remember that if you have a camera with a zoom lens that serves as visual magnification device as well.
The impact of the glacier is vastly different on different decks. For most of the Tracy Arm viewing, my family was taking in the macro view on decks nine and ten. We saw the big picture, but not lots of wildlife. I ran down to our cabin on deck two to grab a new camera battery and immediately saw a family of seals chilling on a nearby ice floe that I would have missed from the higher position. I recommend periodically varying your location on the ship for a fuller experience.
This is not specifically related to the Alaska, but rather to the Wonder. My more recent DCL sailings have been on the newer ships and I had somehow forgotten how truly awful the hairdryers on the Wonder are. They are simultaneously too cold (not enough heat to actually dry your hair) and far too hot (the part you have to hold is basically a component of the heating element). I ended up using my winter gloves to hold the dryer. Bring your own hairdryer or plan to use some sort of hand protection.
In my mind, the main place that the Wonder shows its age is in serious lack of power outlets in the rooms. While it’s tempting to try to charge devices in the shaver ports in the bathrooms, be careful with this. The power level might not match that of your device and the shower room can get extremely damp (no fans), possibly causing harm to your electronics. While power strips are technically prohibited, I simply can not visualize how my family would have managed our devices without one.
If you want to meet Anna & Elsa, be sure to get your tickets in advance.
Anna & Elsa may be available to meet, but you won’t see them out and about on the ship. While other characters appear in the atrium and in various public venues on a first-come first-served basis, the Frozen ladies can only be seen with a special timed ticket. On my sailings, tickets could only be obtained in person from noon until 3:00pm on departure day. The only notification about this was small posting in the sail-away edition of the daily Navigator. If you didn’t get a ticket then, you simply would not be able to meet Anna & Elsa.
Alaskan cruises do not have the “Pirate Party” found during many sailings to other destinations. Instead there is a “Pixar Party” which features some slightly less common characters and the usual boisterous dance music. While many guests dress up for the pirate event, I saw only a handful of guests in Pixar themed garb – don’t feel like you have to channel Mike Wyzowski to enjoy the fun.
You expect Disney Cruise cast members to be warm and welcoming, but I found them to more than usually pleasant on the Wonder. Many of them spoke of the Alaska sailings as a plum assignment and they seemed genuinely happy to be there. They enjoy the cooler climate, more personal interaction with the guests, and generally relaxed atmosphere. From a cast interaction standpoint, this was my best cruise to date.
Packing
I’m an overpacker in general, but never before have I traveled with so much that was so unnecessary. In addition to bringing too many binoculars, our main mistake was bringing heavy winter boots for everyone. Boots are simply not needed. When we went on a dogsledding excursion (awesome, awesome, awesome) there was snow on the ground, but the tour provided “glacier boots” which slip over your regular shoes. There is lots of rain in Alaska, so a waterproof sneaker or low hiking shoe is ideal.
Look for these guys in the Vancouver airport.
There is no need for snow pants, which my husband brought because he’s from Southern California and kind of a wimp (love you, honey). You may perhaps want to bring one pair of long underwear (or warm tights for the ladies) if you have thin blood, but otherwise jeans are all you need.
Bring umbrellas, or rain coats, or ponchos, but not all of the above. If you require specific rain protection for an excursion, the excursion provider will like have this available. If you’re just walking around and it starts to rain, you’ll only need one way to keep dry.
Excursion Selection
Perhaps more than other cruise destinations, the weather situation in Alaska should play a factor in your excursion selection. While you may have a brief pounding rain in tropical regions, for some Alaskan ports, all-day, every-day rain is the norm. When choosing your excursions, you should assume that you’ll be rained on while participating. While something like a zip line might be great fun in the sunshine, it could be more than a little uncomfortable in a driving rain. When making your selections, picture yourself doing the activity soaking wet before you agree to spend money on them.
Several common Alaksan excursions, notably those involving helicopters or small planes, do not allow bags or backpacks on board. If you’re booking an excursion involving this type of vehicle, plan to wear a jacket with lots of large pockets.
Most excursions involving aircraft have per-person weight limits. If you don’t meet the requirements you may not be able to participate, or you may face something like an additional fuel surcharge. Also be aware that the tour provider may not be particularly discreet about asking you your weight or probing with follow-up questions.
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Enhancing Fireworks Displays at Disney Parks
By Claire Nat
Summer is here, and by now hopefully everyone has had a chance to enjoy a fireworks display. I got a chance to enjoy the fireworks in a small Colorado town on the 4th of July. My friends’ house had a great view of the town’s fireworks display from their back deck, so all we had to do was sit down and enjoy!
I did notice that something was missing. While the display was an impressive sight and had a variety of fireworks, there wasn’t really any plan to the show. One shot went up. BOOM! Another shot went up. BOOM! Oh – here’s a change of pace - two going off at the same time! BOOM BOOM! The only time the show really ratcheted it up was at the end, when the sky was smothered with all of the fireworks they had left.
Was your viewing of fireworks the same as mine? Did you feel like it was missing…well…a little Disney magic? The Disney Parks have ruined all other fireworks displays for me. I can sit and enjoy them, but I am not sitting there with my jaw dropped for the entire show, or finding myself involuntarily tearing up because something in the show has hit me emotionally. Instead, I enjoy it, and then almost immediately forget about it.
So what do places like Walt Disney World do to its fireworks shows to make them so memorable? I’ll hit on a couple of points.
1. The show doesn’t simply lay a music track over the fireworks.
You might be looking at this post with an odd look on your face. Um, Claire, yes they do.
This is what I am getting at: if I watch a local fireworks show and have my iPod set to a loud techno song, it’s not the same as going to Magic Kingdom park and seeing “Wishes” on display. Disney doesn’t just lay down a track. Instead, Disney picks the music and works the fireworks display around it. Tinker Bell doesn’t come out of the castle any time she chooses. Instead, she comes out right when the music swells and the “Wishes” leitmotif sounds. (“Leitmotif” is a small recurring melody or theme music that appears more than once in music. You know what I’m talking about: when the kids sing “Wish-es!” That’s the leitmotif.) Every firework that is shot off is timed to a specific point in a piece of music.
When you watch the “Symphony in the Stars” video below, the fireworks start right when the trumpets sound that first call in the Star Wars main titles. “The Imperial March” (at 3:00) is cued when the fireworks shot off are all red. Yoda’s theme (at 4:38) is signified through the whimsical spiraled fireworks. Every punctuation in the finale (at 7:00) is accompanied by a mass of fireworks. That is using the music to enhance a fireworks show.
Note: Special thanks to Ricky Brigante of Inside the Magic for the use of his videos.
Star Wars “Symphony in the Stars” fireworks
2. Fireworks are not wasted.
Every single firework that is shot off has a purpose. Fireworks that immediately cascade like a waterfall are used in soft moments in the music. Crazy colored fireworks are used in moments of agitation or fun. Large “standard” fireworks are used in bombastic, fortissimo moments.
But why are there points in Disney fireworks where there isn’t anything going on? Can’t more fireworks be crammed into those sections? In “Wishes,” there are points when there are no fireworks. Isn’t that sacrilege? That isn’t the intention. Instead, it’s Disney allowing us to breathe before moving on to the next segment, or allowing for exposition from the music or narration to sink in. (More on that later.)
If you watch below, even the Glow With the Show ears are utilized to this effect. They aren’t on all the time – they are used when the moment is right.
Glow With the Show with Wishes
3. Disney fireworks shows tell a story.
Remember how I said earlier that there’s “exposition from the music or narration”? Unlike any standard fireworks shows you might find, many Disney fireworks shows have a simple plot thread.
In “Wishes,” it’s Jiminy Cricket guiding us through the magic of wishes in our lives and the lives of Disney characters, while warning us of the dangers of wishes with bad intentions. In “Illuminations” at Epcot, we are shown the world’s history and development. And in the current Frozen Summer Fun show at Hollywood Studios, Queen Elsa encourages everyone to think chilly thoughts in order to unthaw Olaf. (The fireworks are the “frozen fractals,” don’tcha know.)
Stories are best shown with peaks and valleys. In fireworks shows, the valleys can be shown with slower, quieter music, or with villains taking their turn at the front. If a show is simply all-amazing-all-the-time, that doesn’t create the suspense needed to carry a story.
Queen Elsa conjures Frozen Fireworks
4. These fireworks elicit an emotional response.
Whether it’s the “WOOOOOOO!” yelled by someone in your family, or the sudden itchy feeling you get in your nose when you’re about to shed tears, a good fireworks show will bring out emotions. These emotions will come about thanks to the three previous points above: a story is told, every firework is used for a purpose, and the music brings out the best in the fireworks. If all three of these things work together, you’ll feel it.
Take the “Buccaneer Blast” fireworks from the Disney Cruise Line. Words from the original Pirates of the Caribbean attraction are used, and when Klaus Badelt’s main pirate theme comes rolling out and the fireworks start shooting up, the heart just starts to race. Those emotions cause the fireworks display to be remembered for a long time – not forgotten five minutes later.
Buccaneer Blast fireworks on the Disney Dream
These videos hopefully emphasize the points that I’ve been trying to make. Of course, sometimes it’s just best to go out and enjoy the fireworks for yourself!
What is your favorite Disney fireworks show? What is your favorite type of firework? Am I the only one that cries during a good fireworks show? Comment below!
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Disney World Summer Tips: Keeping Cool in the Kingdom
As the sun rises over Walt Disney World, prepare yourself to beat the heat
Though it’s no secret that Florida summers can be hotter than the surface of the sun, it’s also one of Walt Disney World’s busiest seasons. There’s no way to avoid the high temperatures, but there are some things you can do to plan for hot fun in the summertime. As a follow up to TouringPlan’s previous Disney World summer tips, here are some additional ideas to keep you cool in the kingdom!
Pace Yourself
It’s tempting to dive into your Disney vacation full force, but consider your trip a marathon and not a sprint. While you may expect to feel tired after a day touring Walt Disney World, little can prepare you for the exhaustion of doing it in 90 degree weather with high humidity.
Take advantage of early mornings and late evenings. While this can be difficult, especially with younger kids on sleep schedules, touring is much more comfortable than in the middle of the day. Keep in mind that Florida thunderstorms frequently roll through in the late afternoon, giving you another good reason to take a break.
Hydrate
With the prices of bottled water, soda and other beverages constantly on the rise, it’s easy to convince yourself to hold off on quenching your thirst until it’s a “need” rather than a “want”. Don’t wait. A cold soda, sports drink, or, especially, a slug of water could be the difference between a happy traveling group and the apocalyptic meltdown that’s just an hour away.
Cool Down
Of course, Disney attractions can give you a quick cool down as well. Disney World offers two terrific water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, and attractions like Kali River Rapids and Splash Mountain are perfect for a hot summer day. Whether it’s the refuge of air conditioning or the splash of a wet ride, you don’t always have to stop playing to cool down. Here are some of our (dry) overlooked favorites.
Magic Kingdom:
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover: A favorite of our family, the Peoplemover rarely has a line and puts a cool breeze in our hair.
Mickey’s Philharmagic/ Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress: Even on the busiest days, you won’t typically wait long to enjoy the air conditioning in either of these attractions. As a bonus, the running time of both shows is long enough to give you a sufficient cool down.
Walt Disney World Railroad: You won’t find air conditioning on this one, and the wind never really picks up on the journey, but it’s a great way to save yourself long walks between lands. Use it for transportation to get where you’re going, avoiding crowded walk ways in the blazing sun.
Epcot:
Future World: With so many interactive elements, several of the Future World pavilions offer cool areas to explore without waiting in long attraction lines. Innoventions and The Seas offer relatively uncrowded hands-on exhibits and, while some spots are busier than others, it’s also possible to find quiet corners where a napping child can sleep while a sibling plays.
Sunshine Seasons: Most guests visit The Land on their way to Soarin’, but its good for more than just the flight. Fresh food offerings make it a great spot to grab a snack or even a meal.
Voices of Liberty: Over in World Showcase, most countries have an indoor attraction as well as shops to visit, but Voices of Liberty in the rotunda of the American Adventure is a must see performance.
A nice tribute and cool escape
Disney’s Hollywood Studios:
Walt Disney – One Man’s Dream: This mini-museum of Disney history deserves attention anyway, but it’s an especially nice place to visit to escape the heat. Because you move at your leisure, you can spend as much (or little) time as you need to take a break.
Magic of Disney Animation: Like Future World in Epcot, the hands-on features in the animation building make it a fun place to play. There is a film, the Animation Academy, and character meets, but if you’d prefer to just catch your breath? You can do that too.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
It’s Tough To Be A Bug: Animal Kingdom typically feels the hottest of the parks, possibly because so few of the attractions are indoors. It’s Tough To Be A Bug is one of those few, and since you’ll rarely time it perfectly, chances are you’ll wait beneath the Tree of Life for the next show. It’s not a bad thing – situate yourself near a wall to lean on, and relax until those doors automagically open.
Rafiki’s Planet Watch: A short train ride transports you to the air conditioned learning center. The live veterinarian demonstrations can keep animal lovers occupied for hours, and the petting zoo is terrific for younger kids.
The Other Water
Adventureland statues offer a quick cool down
Disney World is full of fountains, misters, and play areas to cool guests down in the parks. If you’ve got kids, it’s a good idea to pack a change of clothes, including shoes, unless they’re wearing sandals that won’t hold water.
The most extensive water play area is the Casey Jr. Splash ‘N Soak Station at Magic Kingdom, but Epcot’s jumping fountains, and the Coca-Cola mister in Disney’s Hollywood Studios can be just as refreshing (and a lot more comfortable if you’re not looking to get soaked!).
Just remember – not ALL fountains are meant to be played in. If it looks like a water feature and not a playground, chances are it wasn’t intended to be a pool.
Like anywhere else, the heat in Disney World does not have to be unbearable, as long as you plan to give yourself plenty of rest and water.
Another alternative? You could always ask Elsa to conjure up your own personal flurry!
How does your family beat the heat? Share your best Disney World summer tips!
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New Universal Orlando Wizarding World Two-Park Touring Plans
Learn everything you’ve always wanted to know (but were afraid to ask) about visiting both Gringotts and Hogwarts with our new Wizarding World two-park touring plans! (photos by Seth Kubersky)
A few days ago, we published our newly updated Universal Studios Florida touring plans, which provide step-by-step instructions for tackling Diagon Alley and the crowds at the Gringotts bank ride with maximum efficiency. Those guides are now available as premium touring plans that can be copied and edited in Lines, with versions for Early Entry guests and for those staying off-site.
Today, we’re following up with the first installment of our most frequently requested touring plan: one-day/two-park plans covering both sides of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. These new plans cover both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. They feature all Harry Potter attractions (including rides on the Hogwarts Express in both directions) in a single day, and assume you have a Park-To-Park (Universal lingo for “parkhopper”) ticket.
A few words of warning before you grab your robes and rush out the door. While operational capacity at Gringotts continues to improve a a daily basis, we expect the ride’s reliability to continue to consistently inconsistent for at least several more weeks. Especially during Early Entry, a lengthy breakdown while in line at the bank can derail the most carefully laid touring plan.
Even if everything runs smoothly, this plan packs an exhausting amount of entertainment into a single operating day. It is NOT the ideal relaxing vacation experience. If you can afford it, we strongly suggest spending at least 2 or 3 days enjoying Universal’s offerings, rather than sprinting through them.
While these plans are marked as for “adults” they are applicable for anyone who meets the minimum height requirements and is willing to experience thrill rides, which should include most older children and teens. If you are traveling with younger children, use the “child swap” rooms provided at all major rides, or eliminate and substitue for other nearby attractions.
These plans are based on wait time data collected during the first couple weeks of Diagon Alley’s operations. We plan on continuing to test and adjust these plans through the summer, and will likely revise them at the end of the season once we can fully analyze the crowd patterns.
Finally, these plans are designed to let you experience all of the Wizarding World, along with as many of the parks’ other top attractions. If your only concern is Gringotts and Diagon Alley, feel free to join the herd head there first thing and stay as long as you like; just understand it will come at the expense of experiencing other E-Tickets around the resort.
Subscribers who wish do personalize these plans online should be aware that our software only permits one plan per park. Therefore, these plans are spilt into “Part 1″ and “Part 2.” Begin by following Part 1 until you are instructed to travel to the other park, then switch to Part 2. When you reach the end of Part 2, return to the first park and pick up Part 1 where you left off.
Wizarding World One-Day/Two-Park Touring Plan for Adults with 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.
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. It therefore requires a lot of “bouncing around” and criss-crossing the park in order to stay ahead of the building standby queues. 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.
Here is our one day/two park touring plan for guests eligible to enter Diagon Alley early:
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 to the left towards 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 clockwise around the lagoon to ride Transformers.
Exit Transformers to the right and continue past Shrek 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 the London waterfront area and ride the Hogwarts Express train to Islands of Adventure. If using Lines, switch to Part 2 of this plan.
Enter Hogsmeade and ride Dragon Challege.
Eat lunch at the Three Broomsticks.
After lunch, head left to ride Flight 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..
Cross the bridge out of Hogsmeade into Jurassic Park and ride the River Adventure, using the single rider line if open.
Walk through Toon Lagoon to Marvel Super Hero Island and experience The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, using the single rider entrance if available.
Exit Spider-Man to the right and ride The Incredible Hulk.
Leave Marvel and walk through Seuss Island on your way back to the Hogsmeade train station. If it is before 4 p.m. and you are ahead of schedule, stop on the way and ride The Cat in the Hat.
Ride the Hogwarts Express back to Universal Studios Florida, and switch back to Part 1 of this plan. If the “no re-ride” policy is being enforced, walk back to the other park.
Walk to the Hollywood area a catch the next Horror Makeup Show, preferably the 5 p.m. performance or earlier.
Return to Diagon Alley and explore the shops and sights, starting with Olivander’s 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.
Hogwarts and Gringotts in one day? It can be done with our new Wizarding World two-park touring plans.
Wizarding World One-Day/Two-Park Touring Plan for Adult Off-Site Guests
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.
Here is our one day/two park touring plan for adults without early entry:
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 to the left towards 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 clockwise around the lagoon to ride Transformers.
Exit Transformers to the right and continue past Shrek 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 the London waterfront area and ride the Hogwarts Express train to Islands of Adventure. If using Lines, switch to Part 2 of this plan.
Enter Hogsmeade and ride Dragon Challege.
Eat lunch at the Three Broomsticks.
After lunch, head left to ride Flight 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..
Cross the bridge out of Hogsmeade into Jurassic Park and ride the River Adventure, using the single rider line if open.
Walk through Toon Lagoon to Marvel Super Hero Island and experience The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, using the single rider entrance if available.
Exit Spider-Man to the right and ride The Incredible Hulk.
Leave Marvel and walk through Seuss Island on your way back to the Hogsmeade train station. If it is before 4 p.m. and you are ahead of schedule, stop on the way and ride The Cat in the Hat.
Ride the Hogwarts Express back to Universal Studios Florida, and switch back to Part 1 of this plan. If the “no re-ride” policy is being enforced, walk back to the other park.
Walk to the Hollywood area a catch the next Horror Makeup Show, preferably the 5 p.m. performance or earlier.
Return to Diagon Alley and explore the shops and sights, starting with Olivander’s 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.
Step into the Gringotts 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. If this is your first trip through the bank, be sure to experience the entire standby queue; otherwise, use single riders if available.
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.
Come back soon when we’ll conclude this series with our new two-day/two-park comprehensive Universal Orlando Resort touring plans.
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Shocking Savings of a Universal Orlando Annual Pass
By Amy Farkas
Universal Annual Passes are a great way for even infrequent guests to save money.
We have been vacationing to Florida for the past seventeen years; visiting Universal Orlando Resort on each trip. During this time, it had never occurred to me to purchase an annual pass. After all, annual passes are more for those people who live close and can visit many times in the same year, right? I couldn’t have been more wrong.
It wasn’t until recently that I discovered the potential savings of purchasing an annual pass for Universal. The annual passes can be a money saving option for people visiting as few as two days. Not only do you get unlimited day passes to the parks, but you also get free parking, discounts on food, merchandise, admission and special event tickets, and onsite hotel discounts.
There are three annual pass options: Power, Preferred, and Premium pass. They range in price from $214.99 – $434.99 each, with Florida residents getting even more savings. The perks of each level is different and should be fully investigated at Universal Orlando’s website to determine which pass would work best for you. However, for our upcoming trip to Universal, I decided to investigate the preferred pass for myself and a regular two day park to park admission ticket for my husband. We really like the freedom to jump between parks, and with the new addition of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, the park to park option will be a must.
The preferred pass for non-Florida residents cost about $295. With it, I get a 15% discount on my husband’s two day park to park ticket. That will save us about $27 based on regular rates. We also are booking a stay at one of the onsite hotels and can use the annual passholder (APH) discount for that. Depending on the time of year, room discounts can be up to 46% off. You must book before arrival using this link to do so. You do not need to have your annual pass at the time of booking, but must have it at check in. For our upcoming trip, the savings will be $120 less that any non-APH discount for a three night stay.
By purchasing the Preferred Annual Pass and using just the discount on tickets for my husband and the annual passholder rate on the hotel, we are saving about $28 after you figure in the extra cost of the annual pass compared to the regular admission ticket. But wait, there’s more! I will also get a 10% discount on food and merchandise I purchase in the park or at City Walk. That is at least another $50 (probably more) in savings. If we were driving we could also take advantage of free parking during our stay, after the first day. That normally cost $17 per day. And, if we decide to come back any time during the year, we will only have to buy tickets for my husband. These figures were all based on two adults. A larger family could easily reap larger savings.
A breakdown of the passholder benefits is on the Universal web site and can help you pick the best one for your trip.
After purchase, will I renew my annual pass for next year? Definitely! I am just sorry it took us so long to discover the benefits of purchasing the Universal Annual Pass.
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July 22, 2014
Disney World Crowd Report – July 13 to 19, 2014
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Summer-like crowds have arrived. We saw above average crowds most of last week including some higher wait times at The Studios than we have seen at that park in a while. Elsewhere, our predictions did very well, missing only once or twice.
Let’s look at how the crowd levels stacked up each day last week on the Disney World Crowd Report:
Walt Disney World Resort Crowd Levels – Daily Breakdown
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
5
5
Sunday’s crowds were surprisingly low at The Studios but as expected at the other three parks. Toy Story Mania’s averaged stayed below 70 minutes while Tower of Terror was only a 34 minute average posted wait. Guests at Star Tours experienced even lower waits, an average of 14 minutes.
Epcot
4
3
Hollywood Studios
6
3
Animal Kingdom
5
5
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
8
7
Conversely, Monday’s crowd at the Studios was higher than expected, the first time we have observed that since the spring. Toy Story Mania average posted time reached 83 minutes and Tower of Terror reached 59 minutes. Elsewhere, our predictions all did well with perhaps the exception of Space Mountain where the average posted time was 67 minutes (predicted 58).
Epcot
6
6
Hollywood Studios
5
8
Animal Kingdom
7
7
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
8
8
No problems with any predictions on Tuesday, we swept the board with only a slight miss at Animal Kingdom. Crowds grew significantly between Sunday and Tuesday.
Epcot
8
8
Hollywood Studios
7
7
Animal Kingdom
8
9
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
8
6
Predictions did well again on Wednesday although Magic Kingdom wasn’t quite as crowded as expected thanks to lower than expected averages at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (39 minutes, predicted 67), Jungle Cruise (25 minutes, predicted 40) and Splash Mountain (48 minutes, predicted 62).
Epcot
7
7
Hollywood Studios
8
7
Animal Kingdom
8
8
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
9
8
The Studios stood out again on Thursday with that park’s highest wait times since Easter. Toy Story Mania hit 82 minutes (predicted 62) and Great Movie Ride reached 24 minutes (predicted 19).
Epcot
6
6
Hollywood Studios
6
9
Animal Kingdom
8
7
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
7
6
Crowds settled on Friday with no park hitting a level higher than ‘6’ on our scale. Predictions did well across all four parks.
Epcot
6
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
6
5
Only Animal Kingdom missed by more than one index level on Saturday. There we saw average posted times of 27 minutes for Expedition Everest (predicted 37) and 38 minutes for Kali River rapids (predicted 63).
Epcot
4
4
Hollywood Studios
6
6
Animal Kingdom
6
3
What to Expect This Week
July 20 to 26, 2014
How Crowded is Disney World?
Now that crowds have reached typical summer levels we expect to see crowds above average until mid-August.
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 – July 13 to 19, 2014 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Disney Discounts with Bounce Back Offers
By Joe Pardo
What is a Bounce Back Offer?Are you looking to save money on your trip to Walt Disney World? Of course you are. You already know about the time and money you can save by using this very site, but with the rising cost of a Disney vacation, finding discounts wherever you can is more important than ever.
To keep guests returning for more and more visits, Disney frequently offers incentives that are referred to as Bounce Back specials. These are discounts offered to people while they are still on, and hopefully enjoying, their vacation. The intent of the discount is to entice guests to come back between specific dates and stay on property, not to mention locking people into another Disney vacation.
For quite a while Bounce Back Offers have been a good deal for anyone looking to come back within a year for another Walt Disney World resort stay. The offer flyer (and it’s only found on flyers, not as emails, ads, or smoke signals) can be found in your hotel room, usually placed on the table with other bits of resort-related ephemera.
Your room flyer for the Bounce Back offer will look something like this. Photo by Rebecca M. Ashely
Bounce Back Offers are usually one of two deals: either a percentage off rack rates for a room-only stay or a free dining offer with a full priced room. Rack rates are the full price of the room with no discount applied. These are listed on our own site, Disney.com, at Mousesavers.com and many other places online.
“Free” dining is a popular Disney promotion that sends people into a frenzy at least twice a year as they worry about when and if it’s being released (hint: it’s usually in fall and before Spring Break season and yes, it’s always released). Free dining also causes fits of kvetching from Disney fans when it is released that the dates (always slow times) or resorts (good luck getting the offer for Art of Animation suites) don’t meet their preferences. It offers guests who book a package with an onsite room (at full price) and tickets a free dining plan add-on for each member of their party. Search “free dining” on our site and blog for our thoughts on this promotion.
How Do I Book a Bounce Back Offer?
If you decide that a bounce back offer sounds amazing, call the phone number listed on the flyer while you’re still on vacation (this is important, it expires when you leave). The cast member who assists you should ask for a code from the offer paperwork. You will need to give a deposit to secure the discount price, which is $200.00 for a package including free dining with the balance due 45 days prior to arrival. If the discount is for a room only offer, you will need to give a deposit equal to one night’s room rate, with the balance due at date of check in.
Here is a close up look at the current dates.
Photo by Rebecca M. Ashley
As I briefly mentioned above, the catch is that you have to call before midnight of your checkout date. I can speak from experience that the situation can create quite a bit of pressure as you try to figure out plans for future vacations while still enjoying your current vacation. If you know that you will definitely be coming back to Walt Disney World, even if you’re not sure when, the “Bounce Back Offer” is a pretty safe bet. For those who want to be truly ready, have a plan in place before you arrive just in case you get an offer.
What Happens if I Need to Change My Dates?
The future is never certain and sometimes things come up. Naturally, you can cancel any Disney vacation for a full refund as long as you’re not inside the 45-day cancellation window. But what if you just want to move your vacation a week forward or back, or add or subtract days from it? Are you still about to keep your Bounce Back offer? As the flyer didn’t specify, I looked into the matter and found that guests can move their Disney vacation to another valid “Bounce Back Offer” date provided.
What Makes a Bounce Back Offer Great?
Obviously that the ability to save quite a bit of money with no immediate risk (since the deposit is refundable up to 45 days out for packages) is pretty great. Also, as with any Disney discounts, you can re-book with a different offer if a better deal comes out. The peace of mind that you’re not waiting for discount codes to be released is always good, and knowing you’re coming back before you’ve even left definitely takes the sting out of the going home at the end of your vacation.
Ultimately, a Bounce Back Offer is a good discount if it makes sense for your budget and schedule. Many of the offers guests have seen recently seem to be listed for moderate and deluxe resorts only, so if you plan to stay at Pop Century or one of the All Stars, you’re not really saving money. To find out the latest deals, I gave the reservations office a call and asked about what type of discounts are being offered currently. The very courteous cast member told me that right now they have a 25% off “Bounce Back Offer” for value resorts, which is better than many publicly released discounts (values are usually 15% and don’t include family suites). He also mentioned that Disney does not run the value discounts all of the time (backing up our own anecdotal evidence); value level discounts are sporadic, but it never hurts to ask.
So have you booked a Bounce Back offer while onsite? What kind of deal did you get? Did you find it easy to schedule? Talk about it in the comments.
First, a huge THANK YOU to Liner Becky for answering our SOS call for photos to enhance this article.
Second, welcome Joe Pardo, Phillies fan and frequent Disney-related podcast guest to the TouringPlans blog team.
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When the Magic is Too Much – Preparing Kids for Disney
By Lisa Gilmore
Planning a family Disney vacation is full of anticipation and excitement. You save money and plan meticulously for months to have that perfect, magical experience. However, it’s often underestimated how quickly things can go from exciting to scary for the youngest Disney guests. Navigating four theme parks with a little one can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you don’t anticipate what may trigger a reaction. Here we look at ways of preparing kids for Disney vacations.
I’ve seen kiddos get freaked out by 3 main things:
Mickey and characters (they’re bigger than you think!),
Fireworks (sure they’re pretty, but man are they loud!), and
Attractions
There are a few things that you can do in advance to prepare your youngster for the magical world of excitement that awaits!
Buzz and Woody are big, even for adults!
Meeting Disney Friends:
Kids see Mickey, Minnie, and all of their favorite characters in movies and on TV, but it really doesn’t prepare them for how large they are in real life. One way to help prepare young kids to these large friends is to expose them to some local “life size” characters like at Chuck E. Cheese or mascots at any local sporting event. This is a great test run to see how a youngster can handle these larger than life characters. It’s also a way to help them sort through any anxiety they might have, so when they meet Mickey it won’t be so overwhelming. If they already love Chuck E. Cheese, then you can cross this concern off your list!
Another option, if mascots aren’t easily accessible, would be to watch YouTube videos of other family’s Disney vacations. You can easily search “meeting Disney characters” and get a slew of videos to watch to prepare your child for how big Mickey can be compared to the kids meeting him. You can also request for the Disney Parks to send you a free vacation planning DVD. This is another way to introduce your younger family members to the size of character, plus, it’s a DVD they can keep and watch over and over again!
The availability of characters is always changing based on new movie releases and a plethora of other factors. With the availability of the My Disney Experience App, it makes it even easier to see which characters will be appearing in each parks and the times they’ll be greeting guests. Some of the more popular characters even have FastPass+ reservation options! Don’t see the character you’re dying to meet? You can always pick a Times Guide at your Disney resort or the park to see if there have been any additions, or speak with a cast member and request that they call the Character Hotline to see if that character will be available in Walt Disney World during your visit.
Enjoying Disney Fireworks:
Preparing for fireworks is a bit easier. You probably already know by now if your child is sensitive to loud noises or is a firework fan or not. Both Magic Kingdom and Epcot have nightly firework displays that are pretty easy to plan around. If you’re in Epcot, you can easily avoid fireworks (if necessary) by staying the in Future World section, near the front entrance of Epcot, this is far enough away to diffuse most of the noise.
In the Magic Kingdom, however, there is no escape from the noise, so you may want to have a pair of earmuffs or headphones handy. These can be helpful to muffle the noise of the fireworks without having the leave the magic of the parks. If you’d like to enjoy the Magic Kingdom fireworks without the loud, explosive booms, try taking the ferry across the bay to the Transportation and Ticketing Center or to the beach at the Polynesian Village Resort. Both locations pipe in the music for Wishes and have a great view.
The noise of fireworks can sometimes be too much for little ears.
If your child is a fan of exploding thrills – then you may actually want to plan a head to get good seats for these shows. In my opinion, there’s really not a bad view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks if you keep to Main Street. My personal favorite is to jaunt up to the second level of the Main Street Train Station. The benches provide a great seat with an elevated view – plus, a quick escape out the gates once the fireworks are over and the crowds start to herd toward the exits. Epcot has some amazing venues all around the World Showcase – people start scoping out seats as early as an hour in advance! I like the view from Mexico, England and the Japan pavilions. Even better, pre-plan your dinner reservation for a restaurant on the lagoon and watch fireworks from your table!
Mickey’s epic battle with villains during Fantasmic may be too scary for even the bravest of little ones.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios also has a regular nighttime show that features some fireworks, Fantasmic. For little ones afraid of loud noises, this show is also easily avoided. Since it’s held in the back of the park, behind Tower of Terror, you and your little ones can still enjoy the rest of the park during the show with minimal noise interference. For brave tykes who want to see Mickey in action in Fastasmic, I still recommend that you read up on the show and perhaps watch a YouTube video of it, first. This show features Mickey battling some of the great villains from Disney’s classic movies, but even with it’s happy ending, it could be really scary for the active imaginations of little ones.
Disney Thrill Rides:
Attractions can be some of the trickiest things to navigate with kiddos. An attraction that may seem pretty mellow to adults can really intimidate a kid. One thing that is universal is the Disney dark ride concept. This type of attraction takes place in the dark, escorting the guest through a variety of scenes and images to tell a famous Disney story. Pirates of the Caribbean - yep, a classic Disney dark ride! I bet you can’t wait to take your kiddo on it! But before you race to introduce your little buccaneer to those scandalous swashbucklers in the dark, I suggest you whet their appetite on some “mellower” options. Rides in Fantasyland like Peter Pan’s Flight or The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh are great non-intimidating dark rides. Though these don’t have any scary scenes or big drops, they can still be a little daunting for a kiddo afraid of the dark. Try out one of these first, then move him up to bigger challenges, like Pirates of the Caribbean and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin.
Test your child out on some tamer dark rides, like Peter Pan’s Flight, before taking them on more challenging dark rides, like Pirates of the Caribbean.
The last “big ones” in terms of dark rides are: Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom, Dinosaur in Animal Kingdom, Tower of Terror and Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios. Though some of these attractions may not be options for youngsters due to the height restrictions, taller kiddos may still be intimidated by the speed or overall theme of the attraction. Splash Mountain is easy-going until that 50 foot drop! Let your youngster watch a few logs take the plunge and see if they want to give it try. Haunted Mansion may be filled with grim, grinning ghosts, but it’s dark and kinda creepy, your child may not be so eager to meet these friendly ghouls. Space Mountain is the most extreme in Magic Kingdom; it’s fast, dark, loud and full of laser images.
Even some rides in broad daylight may be a little intimidating. Before jumping in line for Big Thunder Mountain, try your child out on the Goofy’s Barnstormer in New Fantasyland. This is another situation where watching YouTube videos with your tot and gauging their reaction can help determine if a ride is too scary.
Prepare your little one for some rides that might seem scary. It’s Tough to be a Bug, in Disney Animal Kingdom, is fun 3-D attraction that introduces you to the amazing world of bugs. I’ve seen toddlers and adults alike freaked out by this show. If you or your child aren’t fans of beetles, spiders, or other creepy-crawlies, this might be a good attraction to avoid.
You know your child best, but start off slow and take a few spins on Peter Pan’s Flight before tackling Space Mountain. Be sure to grab the latest Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World to read up on all of the attractions, characters, fireworks and other tips to make sure you and your family are well prepared for the magic that a Disney vacation offers. Walt Disney World is full of magic which sometimes needs to be sipped and savored before it can be devoured.
What are some tricks that have worked for you? Do you have other tips that can help ease kids into the magic? Share your thoughts and comments below!
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Disney Offers U.S. Military Special Tickets and Resort Rates
©Disney
In honor of our troops, both the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort will not only be offering U.S. Military special discounted room reservation rates, but they are also offering them promotional military ticket options.
The brave men and women who serve our country can purchase specially priced tickets from August 25, 2014, through September 30, 2015 for both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. (Disneyland tickets can actually be purchased through October 1, 2015.) These special tickets may be purchased by active and retired U.S. military personnel (which includes active and retired members of the U.S. Coast Guard, National Guard and Reservists). Active and retired U.S. military personnel can purchase the Disney Military Promotional Tickets for not only themselves, but also up to five additional family members or friends. Keep in mind that there is an expiration date for these tickets; they must be used by October 3, 2015, and they are non-transferable. Valid military identification will be required for purchase and use.
At Walt Disney World, there are three different Military Promotional Ticket options, which include:
Disney 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets with Park Hopper Option for $177 each, plus tax
Disney 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets with Water Park Fun and More Option for $177 each, plus tax
Disney 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets with Park Hopper and Water Park Fun and More Options for $207 each, plus tax
These tickets are may be used from September 28, 2014 through October 3, 2015; however, there are a few blackout dates that include December 22, 2014, through January 2, 2015, and March 29 through April 9, 2015.
At Disneyland Resort, there is one Military Promotional Ticket option:
Disney Military Promotional 3-Day Park Hopper Tickets for $132 each
In addition, for those who would like to book a Disney resort hotel stay with their vacation, both Walt Disney and Disneyland Resort will be offering discounted room rates for active and retired U.S. military personnel. This offer is valid for stays most nights from Sept. 28, 2014 through Oct. 3, 2015, with the exceptions of November 27 through November 29, 2014, December 24 through December 31, 2014, and March 30 through April 4, 2015.
For more information about this Military promotion, you may either visit a participating U.S. military base ticket office (which I’ve heard is the best course of action, especially when you want to purchase tickets), or you may call the Walt Disney World Resort at (407) 939-7830 or the Disneyland Resort at (714) 520-7088. More information can also be found at disneymilitaryoffers.com.
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Disney Offers U.S. Military Special Tickets and Resort Rates is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Pros and Cons of Disney World Without Kids
By Lisa Gilmore
Disney vacations are marketed as the quintessential family trip. The commercials, the planning DVDs, the website, the mailings, and oodles of other Disney vacation propaganda all showcase the glowing, smiling faces of cherub-cheeked tots in addition to the satisfied radiance of their perfectly coifed parents. No doubt about it – if you have a family, Disney is on your radar.
This sight is exciting for adults and kids alike!
But what about a Disney World trip, without the kids? Disney World is a popular destination for honeymooners, to get engaged, and even for a couple to get married, right in the parks. Millions of couples choose to vacation in the House of Mouse without their progeny for many, many reasons. It could be celebrating a special anniversary, only in town briefly for a conference or work trip, or perhaps, they just it’s time to rekindle that romantic spark sans diaper bags and sippy cups. Whatever the reason for your adult-inspired journey into America’s Neverland, let’s explore the pros and cons of traveling to Walt Disney World without kids.
Pros
Limited Baggage. This perk has so many levels. For those who travel on airlines with baggage fees, this could be a huge savings! And if you’re brave enough to venture into the parks with just your ID, MagicBand, and credit cards, you can skip the bag-check line at the parks head straight to turnstiles… er…glowing Mickey heads…entrance. No heavy diaper bag slowly dislocating your shoulder throughout the day or leaving you with those flattering sweat marks on your back. Just you armed with nothing but your sense of adventure (and credit cards, of course)!
Adult Beverages. Whether you’re staying on Disney property or not, the prevalence of transportation options (buses, boats, monorails and cabs) means you can indulge in that adult beverage you’ve always wanted to try (or indulge in a few more)! The only thing holding you back is your alcohol tolerance and your bank account.
Fine Dining. The Walt Disney World Resort has some of the most eclectic fine dining experiences east of the Mississippi. Without having to worry if they have “mac ‘n cheese” on the menu, you can treat yourself to five-star dining complete with the magically immersive atmosphere that Disney is renowned for. And without a curfew or bedtime to worry about, stretch that evening out and top it off with a nightcap at any one of Disney’s luxurious lounges throughout the resort.
The Kiss Goodnight is a light show projected on the castle when the park closes.
Exploit the Thrill Rides. You want to ride Expedition Everest seven times in a row and skip Tricera Top Spin? I applaud your adrenaline rush ambitions! No need for Child Swap, just queue up and keep on riding.
Single Rider Line. Now you say you want to ride Expedition Everest seven times in a row within an hour? You are my people! The beauty of the Single Rider Line is its typical minimal wait. If you have older kids, this could definitely be an option for you. But as childless adults loose in the parks, I say, live it up! Single Rider Lines are your friends (and friends of any Touring Plan you’re using).
Late Nights. Tired little legs and droopy eyes usually make families head to the front gates right after the evening fireworks. But not you! You’ve just stopped at the most recent Starbucks addition for your caffeine infusion and you’re ready to go! Time to hit it hard until they kick you out, right? If you’re in the Magic Kingdom, see if you can stay late enough to watch the Kiss Goodnight, an end of the night castle light show.
Cons
Missing Little Details. Little legs and little eyes mean seeing little details. Disney has so many magical details that adults can just blast past while on the mission to complete their Touring Plan. Sometimes, spending 40 minutes playing in the dancing water fountain outside of Journey Into Imagination With Figment can be just as magical as conquering Test Track. Or watching the miniature train display in the Germany Pavilion in Epcot is just as special as getting that 60th picture with Mickey. Little ones can help us big kids slow down and really take in the magic in a different way.
This dancing water fountain outside Epcot’s Journey Into Imagination can leads to hours of entertainment
Experience Magic through Young Eyes. You’ve never seen fireworks until you’ve seen them with a four-year-old. Their whole face lights up because for them, it isn’t a feat of pyrotechnics, it’s pixie dust. And as cool as pyrotechnics are, I’ll be the first to admit, that pixie dust is far cooler. Spinning in a dancing, enchanted tea cup, meeting the real Cinderella, and having Chef Mickey make you breakfast are magical experiences, all made that much more magical by the pure belief and wonder of little ones. And watching those moments happen make us all choke up (even if they’re not our kids)!
“Excuse” to Nap. “Little Jimmy’s tired and cranky, time to go back to the room to take a nap” is perfect code for “my feet are killing me and I’m on the brink of heat-exhaustion, get me to the AC, stat!” We all need a break sometimes. Having the kids with us can be the excuse we need to keep from having parental meltdowns.
No Stroller. What? How is this “con”? Bear with me, I have a point. Strollers are arguably the greatest child-accessory invented. They hold your kid, they hold your stuff, they’re on wheels, all you have to do is push – if they were motorized or remote controlled, everyone would have one! It’s portable storage. Not sure if you need extra sunscreen? Bring it anyway, just toss in the stroller. Impulse purchases in gift shops? No big deal, just toss it in the stroller. However, if you’re one of the poor saps traveling through Disney World without kids (without a stroller!) you’ve gotta schlep that stuff around in a backpack or *gasp* a fannypack! Not only do you risk a run-in with the fashion police (no matter how handy fannypacks are…) but you’ve essentially turned into your own pack mule. Suddenly the needs of the day turn into a mental battle of “do I really wanna lug that around all day?”
Strollers – they’re not just for kids anymore – it’s the new portable storage!
With or without kids, solo or in a group of friends or family, every Disney vacation has its own “pros” and “cons”. What are yours? Do you have any “pros” or “cons” to add to this list? Share them in the comments below!
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