Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1220

June 14, 2014

SATURDAY SIX SPECIAL EDITION: Six Reasons Why We Love the London Waterfront Area of Universal Studios Florida

This week’s SATURDAY SIX covers the Six Reasons We Love the London Waterfront Area of Universal Studios Florida. Wait a minute, didn’t we already do a Saturday Six on Harambe Nights for this week? Yes we did, but the construction walls came down earlier this week and our excitement level about Diagon Alley is at a fever pitch. Now that we’ve had a day or two to pick our jaws up off the ground, it’s time to present those items that blow our minds by looking at what is the most elaborate facade in theme park history.

# 6 – Kreacher at 12 Grimmauld Place

Kreacher peering out the windows at the filthy muggles outside. (photo by HateToFly)

To quote German poet and professional basketball player Dirk Nowtizki, we can basically SHUT IT DOWN right now as Kreacher peeking through the curtains at 12 Grimmauld Place is everything that makes the Wizarding World of Harry Potter the gold standard in theme parks today. A Kreacher animatronic is taking fan service to the Nth degree and will make anyone who has ready the Potter books or has seen the movies to almost swoon in disbelief. Before you even walk through the doors, Universal Creative has shown they get it.

Another view of Kreacher (photo by HateToFly of OrlandoUnited)

Grimmauld Place (you can see 12 Grimmauld Place with its different coloring – photo by Brandon Glover

# 5 – The Cabman’s Shelter

This location will have England-themed merchandise

A jacket potato? What will those Brits come up with next?

There will be two retail opportunities outside the London Waterfront, one for merchandise and the other for food. The two locations will be cleverly housed within a cabman’s shelter. Merchandise will include shirts and pins focusing on England itself while the grab and go food items include “crisps” (potato chips) and “jacket” potatoes (baked potatoes).

# 4 – The Fountain

The Shaftesbury memorial fountain with statue of Eros (photo by Brandon Glover

The statue of Eros (photo by Brandon Glover)

The detail from top to bottom of this new fountain is absolutely stunning. A recreation of the Shaftesbury memorial fountain with a statue of Eros that can be seen in Piccadilly Circus, this fountain will be one of the most popular photo ops in the park.

# 3 – King’s Cross Station

Platform 9 3/4 just inside those doors… (photo by Brandon Glover)

Within King’s Cross Station lies the Hogwarts Express, the first attraction in theme park history which will travel between two different theme parks. A seminal moment in Harry Potter lore, going through Platform 9 3/4 is a rite of passage for all first years making their pilgrimage to Hogwarts. Now it is here. In Orlando. Tissues will be provided for those that need them.

# 2 – The Knight Bus

The Knight Bus – transportation for all witches and wizards (photo by HateToFly)

Both Wizarding Worlds (Hogsmeade Village and Diagon Alley) are heavily influenced by the movie versions of Harry Potter, and when Prisoner of Azkaban was released in the theaters we all realized how much more there was to this “Universe,” and it all started with the Knight Bus. An unforgettable scene that had both humor and thrills, the Knight Bus takes something as normal and pedestrian as a bus ride and made it completely unique and original. Not only will guests be able to take photos of the Knight Bus, but Universal will have two interactive elements, the Knight Bus conductor and shrunken heads.

Knight Bus Conductor, who will interact with guests in front of the Knight Bus (photo by Brandon Glover)

# 1 – London at Night

Gorgeous (photo by HateToFly)

The new area of London looks fantastic during the day, but at night it becomes – pardon the phrase – magical. The lighting elements combined with the beautiful architecture transports guests to a different world. Until a couple years ago, Universal Studios Florida had a hard time keeping guests later in the day. The Cinematic Spectacular nighttime show, Transformers: The Ride 3D, and the Springfield USA expansion has helped keep more people in the park longer, but how the London area looks at night is a real game changer. Now muggles are going to be dragged away kicking and screaming, wanting to spend one more minute…take one last picture…enjoy one more second of Universal’s crowning achievements.

HONORABLE MENTION – EVERYTHING ELSE!

There are too many “little things” to bring up, and we don’t want this list to turn into the Saturday Sixty, but it is safe to say that everything is absolutely pitch perfect and we are singing Everything Is Awesome on a constant loop. The key word for anything recreated in the Wizarding World at the Universal parks is “authenticity” and this area is the real deal.

A record store next to Leicester Square Station (photo by Brandon Glover

This book store facade reminds us of the book store Hugh Grant ran in the movie Notting Hill (photo by Brandon Glover)

So there you have it: Six Reasons Why We Love the London Waterfront Area at Universal Studios Florida. See you next weekend for the latest edition of the Saturday Six, where we just may head deeper into Diagon Alley itself.. If you had fun, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! articles or, for your listening pleasure, check out Pardon the Pixie Dust podcast.

Special thanks to crack staff photographer Brandon Glover and Universal forum legend HateToFly for their assistance on this article.

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Published on June 14, 2014 08:00

SATURDAY SIX: Six Reasons We Love Harambe Nights at Animal Kingdom

By Derek Burgan

This week’s SATURDAY SIX covers Six Reasons We Love Harambe Nights at Animal Kingdom. When Walt Disney World announced its newest hard ticket event, Harambe Nights, we at the Saturday Six were a bit skeptical. At a starting price of $119.00 per person, this party is expensive even by Disney standards. However, we are big fans of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party as well as Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and faithful readers will remember that we recently debunked the rumor that Animal Kingdom was a half day park, so a party at the Animal Kingdom is right up our alley.

Harambe Nights itself is a celebration of the 20th Anniversary of The Lion King, one of Disney’s all time greatest films. The centerpiece of the entire party is The Lion King: Concert in the Wild, a retelling of the classic story using a celebrity speaker, an orchestra, film clips, dancers and more. Does Harambe Nights justify the price tag? We’ll talk about that more at the end of the article, but we can safely say that the party delivers the goods, and here’s our top six reasons why…

# 6 – Walk Around Characters

Both the Halloween and Christmas parties at the Magic Kingdom have character meet and greets that often draw huge lines. With time limited at the party, spending 30 minutes, one hour, or even two hours in line to meet Jack Skellington or the 7 Dwarfs is a big commitment. For Harambe Nights, there were several characters (including Mickey and Minnie in tradition African garb, Timon and Rafiki from The Lion King, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto) that were roaming around meeting guests, just as many people remember them doing in the years before meet and greets became so structured. This was a refreshing and unexpected surprise.

# 5 – The Food. The Snacks. THE OPEN BAR!

If you ever wanted to know what it was like going to a Disney or Universal media event, Harambe Nights will give you a taste, no pun intended. There is almost a never ending supply of free food and drinks throughout the entire event. It all kicked off with self-serve appetizers including Safari cheeseburger rolls, spicy Durban chicken, Moroccan beef kefta, and pickled fennel paneer cheese. As a whole, the appetizers might have a been the highlight of the evening, food wise, all worthy of second helpings with our favorite being the Safari cheeseburger rolls.

Safari cheeseburger rolls

Going into the Harambe Theatre, guests received a rolled tube of Lion Chow (trail mix) to snack on. When Harambe Nights ends its run, Lion Chow needs to be an option for an everyday snack at the park. It’s perfect for adults and kids.

“Lion Chow” – Given out at The Lion King show. A salty-sweet combo of sea-salted pretzel chips, benne (sesame) crumbles, cardamom candied pecans, golden raisins, dried cherries and candied ginger.

There was an open bar for the entire event and the drink list included: Beer - Tusker Lager, St. George, Bud Light and Corona. (Regular Saturday Six readers may remember that we recently suggested getting a Tusker Lager at Animal Kingdom’s Dawa Bar, one of the six best theme park bars in Orlando.) Wine - Spice Route Chenin Blenc, Fairview Pinotage, Fairview Goats do Roam White, Wolftrap Red, and Beringer White Zinfandel. Specialty Cocktails – Jungle Juice (which also had a non-alcoholic version available). Coke products and water rounded out the selections.

After the Harambe Theatre lets out, the main dishes are available buffet style. There is a large selection of breads, salads, meat, fish and vegetables. Some of the items included were Katchumbari salad, creamy mac and cheese, spicy vegetable samosa, seared lamb chops, butter chicken thighs, and BBQ pork.

Traditional naan, onion kulcha and Papdum breads with roasted pepper hummus, raita, and garlic-ginger pickle dips

Seared lamb chops

The salads and main dishes are very good, but the overall food quality wasn’t up to the standards set by restaurants such as Jiko, Boma, and Sanaa, where you would normally find more exotic fare like these offerings. To be fair, those are very high standards, and it is much harder to have consistently great buffet food compared to a table service restaurant. That said, the food was very tasty and so plentiful that if you found something you really enjoyed (as we did with the lamb chops and BBQ pork) you can really load up.

Golden pineapple with toasted coconut (left) Caramel salted Tanzania chocolate Kenyan coffee bite (right)

Chai cream with zebra stripes

There was a nice selection of desserts, including our favorite the Chai cream with zebra stripes. Also worth noting was the fact that all the frozen treats that you can purchase during the day (including Mickey Bars and chocolate covered bananas) were free as well. Be sure to bring your appetite when you come to Harambe Nights.

As for seating, there were a decent amount of tables and chairs set up outside, as well as high top tables that you could stand and eat at. Guests were also allowed to bring their food into Tusker House to sit down and eat. All of these tables filled up relatively quick though, and much like the Food & Wine Festival, every available space became a table – including trash cans.

# 4 – Merchandise

We can’t deny it, we love theme park merchandise, both the good and the bad. We especially love party merchandise, but the offerings can be sparse and lack originality. We were very surprised to see a bunch of unique items brought out for Harambe Nights, all of which looked really sharp. One of the more interesting items, the Legacy Collection CD, will be available to purchase from outlets such as Amazon.com starting on June 24th.

# 3 – African Culture on Display

Throughout the Harambe area were information centers with cast members available to talk about the culture of Africa. The cast members were there to explain which region of Africa each item came from and its significance to the people living there. Not many people want to go to a theme park to learn anything, but we found this aspect fascinating and there were some pretty cool art pieces to check out.

# 2 – Street Party

A live DJ, face painting, street performers (it seemed several of the stilt walkers that Universal loves to use were moonlighting for this event), and a live band were part of the offerings for both the welcome party before The Lion King show and the after party to close out the night. Not sure if it was the festive music or the open bar, but many guests were dancing and having a great time.

# 1 – The Lion King – Concert in the Wild

Using an orchestra, choir, dancers, and a celebrity narrator, the story of The Lion King is brought to life in a new way, completely different than the regular Festival of the Lion King show and the Broadway adaptation. With a running time of almost an hour, the show also displays scenes from the Lion King film on two large video screens. The talent here was stunning, and if anything they were too constrained by the small space that they had, especially considering how large the theater itself is. This was definitely a step above your average in-park show, but the performers should have been allowed to do even more. Disney should skip the actual movie clips and let the orchestra, choir, and stage performers tell the whole story because they were fantastic. Overall the show was a great experience, both funny and moving, but with a couple tweaks it could be one of the most memorable shows Disney has ever put together. Everything they need is already there.

Harambe Theatre set up for The Lion King- Concert in the Wild

In the foreground are dancers while in the background is the orchestra which played during The Lion King – Concert in the Wild

Celebrity narrator Viola Davis tells the story of The Lion King

Honorable Mention: Tree of Life projections

To close out the night, the Tree of Life was lit up with projections that were intended to represent the stars in the sky, an important element from the Lion King movie. This was an interesting effect, and we love seeing anything done with the Tree of Life, one of WDI’s greatest creations, but it could have used just a little more magic. A glimmering Tree of Life could send guests home with a huge smile on their face and something very memorable to tell friends and family, but instead this was just “pretty good.” In fact many guests just thought a couple strings of lights were put up, not realizing these were actually projections. It seemed cheap, even though it wasn’t. This seems to be another easy fix that can turn an okay show element into a jaw dropper.

So the big question: is Harambe Nights worth it? We think for adults, yes, even at $120 per person (the more expensive tickets are actually completely sold out for the entire event,) but not so much for children at $80. The amount of food was much more than expected and an open bar is almost a pinch-me-I’m-dreaming situation. It’s something different and done very well across the board, which actually counts for a lot when it seems like you’ve seen and done it all in the parks. Animal Kingdom at night is also a unique experience, one that we’ll all hopefully be seeing more of in the upcoming years. Harambe Nights isn’t a steal at $120 per person, but you also won’t leave feeling ripped off either.

So there you have it: Six Reasons We Loved Harambe Nights. See you next weekend for the latest edition of the Saturday Six where we are going to look at the newly unveiled London Waterfront at Universal Studios Florida . If you had fun, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! articles or, for your listening pleasure, check out Pardon the Pixie Dust podcast.

Special thanks to crack staff photographer Brandon Glover for his assistance with this article.

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Published on June 14, 2014 03:00

June 13, 2014

American Idol Experience Replacement – Poll

By Laurel Stewart

2005 called, it wants its mic back. ©Disney

Rumors abound that the American Idol Experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be closing January 3, 2015. The attraction opened, even as it was obvious that the American Idol phenomenon in the U.S. had peaked, in 2009 and plays at the Superstar Television Theater at the Studios.

This is a huge footprint in the park, and has been the set of many great interactive shows at the Studios. While the closing is probably not seen as that big a deal by the many guests who were not flocking to see the attraction, eventually something will need to take its place.

What do you think should replace the American Idol Experience if it is indeed closing?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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Published on June 13, 2014 14:16

In Case You Missed It: Disney News and Rumors – Week of June 13, 2014

By Rikki Niblett

How Changes to Epcot’s FastPass+ Tiers Affect You

By Len Testa

On June 16, Epcot’s Living with the Land will join Soarin’, Test Track, and IllumiNations as Tier 1 FastPass+ attractions. (Living with the Land was previously a Tier 2 attraction). Guests making advance FastPass+ reservations will be able to choose one of these attractions before arriving at the park. (You’ll be able to get more FastPass+ reservations from any tier once you’re in the park and have used your set of advance Fastpass+ reservations.)

Also, the Epcot Character Spot and Maelstrom will move from Tier 1 to Tier 2.

Here’s the complete lineup of Epcot FastPass+ Tiers:

Tier 1 (Choose One)

IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
Living with the Land
Soarin’
Test Track

Tier 2 (Choose Two)

Captain EO
Epcot Character Spot
Journey Into Imagination
Maelstrom
Mission Space Green/Orange
Spaceship Earth
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Turtle Talk with Crush

With this change comes two questions:

How does this affect our Epcot touring plans?
What are my FastPass+ priorities at Epcot now?

Effect on Epcot Touring Plans

Ten of our 24 Epcot touring plans required changes with this latest FastPass+ shuffle. In most of them, the change was to drop Living with the Land and add Maelstrom as a FastPass+ attraction. Our touring plan software typically moved the Living with the Land ride to slightly earlier in the day, when crowds will be lower, and suggested a FastPass+ reservation time of around 2 PM for Maelstrom.

Your FastPass+ Priorities at the Epcot

The 3 highest-priority FastPass+ attractions at Epcot are Spaceship Earth, Soarin’, and Mission: Space Orange, for families who want a complete tour of the park. Those attractions are the same as before this tier change:

Maelstrom is now recommended in about 1/3rd of our touring plans, and Living with the Land is not recommended at all (nor is the Epcot Character Spot). IllumiNations is suggested exactly once, for an afternoon touring plan of World Showcase. And Test Track, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and Turtle Talk with Crush remain good secondary choices.

The Best Times for FastPass+ Reservations at Epcot

Now that you know which attractions most need FastPass+, the next question is when you should make your FastPass+ reservations. Here’s a chart showing the times our Epcot touring plans use FastPass+ to avoid long lines (yellow=morning times, orange=afternoon):

Our touring plan software recommends Soarin’ and Mission: Space Orange before noon (the median suggested reservation time is 10:30 AM for Soarin’ and 10:15 AM for Mission: Space). Doing that allows you to head for Test Track first thing in the morning, and a quick ride on Sum of All Thrills before heading for Mission: Space. After that, most touring plans suggest Living with the Land prior to riding Soarin’.

As for Maelstrom, the median suggested time for a FastPass+ reservation is 2 PM, with an average time of around 3 PM. That means you’ll be touring World Showcase in a clockwise direction, from Mexico to Canada. The good thing about that strategy is that there are plenty of good viewing spots for IllumiNations on the Canada side of World Showcase, so you won’t need a FastPass to see the show.

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Published on June 13, 2014 03:50

June 12, 2014

Food Truck Event at Downtown Disney on June 21

By Rikki Niblett

©Disney

If you’ve been to Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World recently, you’ll have noticed that the food truck phenomenon has arrived. Most evenings of the week, Disney has four different food truck options spread throughout the shopping district. They include Namaste Cafe, World Showcase of Flavors, Fantasy Fare, and Superstar Catering.

However, if you visit Downtown Disney’s West Side on June 21, you’ll have not only get the option to stop and grab a bite from one of the four Disney trucks, but there will also be local trucks on-site. This is part of the first-ever event called “Trucks on the Town at Downtown Disney West Side.” The event will take place from 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. in the Cirque du Soleil courtyard. and there will be 14 different options in all for guests to enjoy. Dishes will include empenadas, cupcakes, cheesesteaks, barbecue, seafood, sliders, flatbreads, and more. The trucks that will be featured are:

TheDailyCity.com Food Truck Bazaar
El Cactus Azul
Ellie Lou’s BBQ
La Empanada
Magic 4 ur Plate
Mayan Grill
Philly’s Best Cheesesteak
TJ’s Seafood Shack
Yum Yum
Disney’s World Showcase of Flavors
Disney’s Superstar Catering
Disney’s Namaste Cafe
Disney’s Fantasy Fare
Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Truck

In addition, a live DJ will play tunes for guests’ enjoyment. Those attending the event should park in lots O, P, and Q, found near Cirque du Soleil.

The “Trucks on the Town” event seems like a fun adventure for both guests and locals who can stop by!

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Published on June 12, 2014 14:12

Daisy Lauren’s Best Week Ever: June 12, 2014

By Daisy Lauren

Hi, Everyone! I’m very happy to announce this new weekly article bringing you the best of Disney and what to expect in the week ahead. Since this is new, please let me know what you like, what you don’t, and what you’d like to see added. We’re always really happy to hear your feedback. Now, let’s get started with a look at the best week ever!

The Star Wars Weekends event continues to be popular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but last weekend wasn’t as crowded as expected. I’ve heard rumors that this was because cast member passes were blacked out. In any case, it was nice to see the streets not quite so packed!

If you can believe it, the above photo was taken about an hour before A Conversation With Mark Hamill. I was lucky enough to get a last minute FastPass+ to be in the theater for this event! My best tip for FastPass+ is to not give up. If you’re persistent, most attractions open up eventually. Less than two hours before show time I was able to get a FastPass+ to see Mark Hamill after trying for a week! I encountered a bit of the dark side along the way….

I love the mix of Darth Vader and stroller parking! Since I knew so many of our readers would be interested in Mark Hamill’s show, I took video of the entire thing. It’s a little shaky, so please forgive me. Overall, the show was excellent, and every person in that theater was so excited to be there!

Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
Video 4

After the show I stopped by to check out the refreshments. (For reporting purposes only, of course.) While everything looks great, it was way too hot to try anything. Maybe that’s why the line was short here while all character meet and greets had lines easily over 30 minutes.

Refreshments are also available inside Darth’s Mall. This Star Wars Weekends shopping area continues to be packed all day long, and it’s filled to the brim with all things Star Wars. Not only are there all sorts of souvenirs, but also customizable phone cases, car decals, custom action figures, and tons of limited edition merchandise. Disney also moved the Mickey and Minnie meet and greet into this building, which is nice considering it gets such a long line.

Dispelling the mindset that nothing is free at Disney is this little Lego X Wing Fighter. These are free to build and take home. All you have to do is wait in line to get yours.

Finally, I also filmed Symphony in the Stars from my favorite spot in the park for you. I really miss the days when there were nightly fireworks at the Studios. I love Fantasmic!, but it just isn’t the same. Now also seems like a good time to mention that my YouTube “channel” is just to link stuff to these blogs. For all the latest information, you should subscribe to the TouringPlans Channel:

Shifting gears over to Downtown Disney, the Marketplace Co-op opened its doors last week. From the moment this was announced online I was really excited to see it open. The mix of merchandise seemed like Disney was listening to what fans want. Now that it’s open, I can tell you it doesn’t disappoint!

Stepping inside you can see that not a ton of work was done to the building, itself, but rather it was just sectioned off into smaller retail booths. D-Tech on Demand is not pictured here, but you know what it looks like if you’ve seen any of the D-Tech displays in the parks. The highlight of this shop are is that custom phone cases are available for Galaxy SG3, SG4, and iPhone 4/5 models.

Beautifully Disney offers the latest Disney themed makeup, but also popular beauty items available in the parks. Notably available is Laila fragrance, which is wildly popular in the Norway section of Epcot. The Trophy Room,not pictured, was my hubby’s favorite shop. It hosts old fashioned sports apparel that most men will find drool worthy.

Zoey and Pickles was a surprisingly cute store! Though the merchandise is all for teens and tweens, I was left wishing I could fit into half the stuff. Just next door, Cherry Tree Lane is more geared towards adults with high end handbags, jewelry, and scarves.

Disney Centerpiece is the crowned jewel of this new shopping spot. It has enough gorgeous and unique Disney Parks merchandise to bankrupt any good Disney fan. There is no way I could picture it all here, but you’ll have to check it out on your next trip!

One sneak peek to dream about, how about an entire display devoted to Orange Bird? Even better, a lot of the items in Disney Centerpiece are practical things that you can use in your home. Somehow, it seems more justified to buy Disney swag you can actually use rather than just display.

My last updates for this week are from the Magic Kingdom, where I finally got to meet Tinker Bell in her new location on Main Street. Stepping inside, you first have to get a little pixie dust:

Once inside, the new location looks great. I also have a huge compliment to pay Tinker Bell. It can be uncomfortable to meet characters as an adult alone at the parks, but she was so nice! I left my meet and greet with a big smile. If only all characters were as lovely at Tink!

I also had to stop by to visit Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover and Astro Orbiter. Sadly, while they are under refurbishment there’s a big crane sitting smack in the middle of Tomorrowland. It’s an eyesore, but the rides need the work. If you’d like to see all the latest refurbishment information, check it out here.

That’s your news from around the world last week. If you’re heading to Disney World next week, here’s a look at what you can expect:

Crowd Calendar: Summer is upon us, with few of the parks seeing crowd levels below 7 regardless of the day of week. Be sure to optimize those Touring Plans. You’re going to need them!

Weather: More evidence of summer here, as you’ll need to be prepared for every kind of weather. Expect blistering sun with high in the 90′s and afternoon showers. Be sure to pack the sun screen, ponchos, and extra socks. Now might be a good time to make a rain plan.

Upcoming Events this week include the Car Masters Weekend at Downtown Disney on June 14 & 15. This lively event features tons of cars, street vendors, and the Cars movies playing at AMC Downtown Disney 24.

The Sounds Like Summer Concert series continues at Epcot next week with nightly concerts at 5:30pm, 6:45pm and 8:00pm.

Don’t forget: It’s Tough To Be A Bug! at Animal Kingdom will be going under refurbishment July 7, 2014, giving you just under a month to stop by to see it before it closes.

Lastly, here’s my top tip for next week. If you’ll be driving to Disney World, try to take a spin down World Drive around 9:45pm for the best view of the Symphony in the Stars fireworks. I caught this view by accident last week, and it’s better than any view in the park!

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

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Published on June 12, 2014 08:00

How Changes to Hollywood Studios’ FastPass+ Tiers Affects You

By Len Testa

On June 16, Hollywood Studios’ Great Movie Ride will join Toy Story Mania, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Beauty and the Beast, and Fantasmic! as Tier 1 FastPass+ attractions. Guests making advance FastPass+ reservations will be able to choose one of these attractions before arriving at the park. Guests making advance FastPass+ reservations will still be able to select 2 attractions from the Studios’ remaining Tier 2 FastPass+ attractions.

Great Movie Ride was a Tier 2 FastPass+ attraction before June 16, 2014, and we’ve been getting two questions about this change:

How does this affect our Hollywood Studios touring plans?
What are my FastPass+ priorities at the Studios now?

Effect on Studios Touring Plans

Only 2 of our 15 Hollywood Studios itineraries required changes to accommodate Great Movie Ride: the standard 1-Day Studios Plan for Parents with Small Children, the Holiday 1-Day Plan for Parents with Small Children, and the Happy Family touring plan for multi-generational families. On these 3 plans, the touring plan software either moved Great Movie Ride to slightly earlier in the day, when crowds haven’t yet built, or to around 2 PM when there’s an afternoon lull at the ride.

With these updated touring plans, your average wait time for rides will be well under 15 minutes. In fact, your longest wait of the day is likely to be at Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow, somewhere around 17 to 20 minutes.

Your New FastPass+ Priorities at the Studios

The results from our touring plan software are clear: Toy Story Mania, Star Tours, and Tower of Terror should be the 3 advance FastPass+ priorities for most families doing a comprehensive tour of Hollywood Studios:

Only one other attraction is ever identified as requiring FastPass+, and that’s for an afternoon touring plan that includes the 7 PM show at The American Idol Experience. Because the 7 PM Idol performance is the last of the night and features winners from the day’s earlier shows, it’s somewhat more popular than the other performances. It seems like FastPass+ would be a decent choice in this situation.

The Best Times for FastPass+ Reservations at Hollywood Studios

Now that you know which attractions most need FastPass+, the next question is when you should make your FastPass+ reservations. Here’s a chart showing the times our Hollywood Studios touring plans use FastPass+ to avoid long lines (yellow=morning times, orange=afternoon):

Our touring plan software recommends Toy Story Mania before 11 AM on average. Doing that removes one bottleneck from your early morning schedule, and allows you to ride more headliner attractions while lines are still short. After you’re done with the headliners, a 12:00 noon Star Tours FastPass+ choice is excellent for teens and adults. If you’ve got small children who meet Star Tours’ 40″ height requirement and you’re taking a mid-day break (as our touring plans suggest), then a late-afternoon FastPass+ reservation at Star Tours will also help keep your waits low.

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Published on June 12, 2014 03:00

June 11, 2014

Universal Announces Return of “The Walking Dead” to Orlando for Halloween Horror Nights 24

By Derek Burgan

Halloween Horror Nights 24 at the Universal Orlando Resort started off with a bang as it was announced that AMC’s The Walking Dead would return to the nation’s premier haunted experience for the third straight year. A ratings juggernaut for AMC, season 4 of The Walking Dead premiered in October of 2013 with a shocking 16 Million viewers and continued its popularity until the season finale in March of 2014, which also set a ratings record for season finales (breaking its own record set at the end of season 3).

In 2012, The Walking Dead made its debut at Halloween Horror Nights 22, with a haunted maze that used no characters from the popular television show. For HHN 23, not only did The Walking Dead have a bigger maze, but the entire park was filled with scare zones set to themes established by the television show. In addition, several characters from the show (such as Michonne’s walkers) were used in the scare zones and maze, making the experience much more immersive for fans of the show.

Universal says that for HHN 24 The Walking Dead will have the biggest house of the entire event and will use more scare actors than ever before. The official HHN 24 twitter feed has been dropping hints of what we can expect to see, including:

Almost every major environment in season 4 will be featured. Prison for a small portion. The big spot and its parking lot. The moonshine shack, the country club, the tunnel… Terminus. – Mike Aiello, HHN Creative Director

Executive Producer Greg Nicotero talks about the terrifying return of AMC’s The Walking Dead to Halloween Horror Nights 24. This all-new horror experience will be the largest maze ever built in the history of Halloween Horror Nights, with more scareactors than ever before.

While some early reactions to the announcement was along the lines of “Walking Dead? Again?” the numbers speak for themselves, and The Walking Dead brand brings guests into the park who ordinary wouldn’t do Halloween Horror Nights. Similar to Harry Potter bringing people to Islands of Adventure (and soon to Universal Studios Florida), The Walking Dead will get people through the turnstiles, period.

Last year we took a lights-on tour of The Walking Dead house, No Safe Haven. You can read about that experience (along with tours of the houses for La Llorona and Cabin in the Woods) by checking out our Morning Menace Tour blog post from last year.

Facade for The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven from HHN 23 (photograph by Brandon Glover)

Inside The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven haunted maze from HHN 23 (photo by Brandon Glover)

An amazing Easter Egg for fans of LOST in the The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven maze (photo by Brandon Glover)

Michonne’s walkers on display for HHN 23 (photo by Brandon Glover)

For more information and tickets for Halloween Horror Nights 24, please see the official HHN website.

Special thanks to Brandon Glover for his assistance on this article.

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Published on June 11, 2014 03:00

June 10, 2014

Disney Changes FastPass+ Tiers at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot

By Rikki Niblett

©Disney

Disney is still constantly tweaking FastPass+ selections that are available for guests, and a brand new tweak is currently on the horizon. Beginning Monday, June 16, Disney will change up the tiers of attractions available for guests at both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Here is a look at what will be affected.

At Epcot, originally, Living With the Land was a Tier 2 attraction, while the Epcot Character Spot and Maelstrom were Tier 1 options.

Beginning June 16, Epcot’s tier system will be as follows:

Tier 1 (Choose One)

IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
Living with the Land
Soarin’
Test Track

Tier 2 (Choose Two)

Captain EO
Epcot Character Spot
Journey Into Imagination
Maelstrom
Mission Space Green/Orange
Spaceship Earth
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Turtle Talk with Crush

My Disney Experience indicates this change as well:

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the only attraction that has seen a tier change is The Great Movie Ride. Originally, the attraction was a Tier 2 attraction, but it will soon move up to Tier 1.

Beginning June 16, Disney’s Hollywood Studios tier system will be look like this:

Tier 1 (Choose One)

Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage
Fantasmic!
The Great Movie Ride
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Toy Story Midway Mania!

Tier 2 (Choose Two)

The American Idol Experience
Disney Junior – Live on Stage
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show
Muppet-Vision 3D
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Here’s how My Disney Experience appears beginning June 16 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

If you currently have your FastPass+ reservations made, they will not be affected, unless you change them. Also, nothing has changed at either Disney’s Animal Kingdom or Magic Kingdom; these parks do not include tiering.

For further details about how the whole FastPass+ system works, make sure to read our FastPass+ information page.

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Disney Changes FastPass+ Tiers at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.