Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1225
May 29, 2014
Observations from the Universal Orlando Resort – May 26, 2014 (Margaritaville, Red Oven, Cabana Bay, and more)
By Derek Burgan
Seth Kubersky recently published the latest addition to PotterWatch, and it takes a look at the newly installed dragon on top of Gringotts Bank, new benches and massive lion heads in front of the London Waterfront, the growing of the Hogsmeade forest, and updates on the latest information concerning the possible opening of Diagon Alley. For this trip to the Universal Orlando Resort, Brandon Glover and I took a look at other new things that have popped up at the parks, CityWalk, and hotel area.
Our first stop was lunch at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. We had tried some of their new items on our last trip to UOR (including the Volcano Burger and insanely large Volcano Nachos) but saw others on the menu that we had to go back for, including this Margarita Flight.
Margarita Flight (includes Who’s to Blame, BlueBerry Pomegranate, Fins to the Left, and Last Mango in Paris) $16.95
We both agreed the mango margarita was the highlight. As a fan of souvenir mugs, I did not realize that Margaritaville had one of the more interesting ones around. The Booze in a Blender is a cup that looks like a blender and can be used for any mixed drink. You can also buy the blender separately in the gift shop.
Booze in the Blender (with strawberry margarita). Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville souvenir blender can be used for any mixed drink. Add $8 to the drink or can be bought separately for $9.95.
First appetizer was the Pretzel Sticks, and these were pretty good. They can’t touch the pretzels served at NASCAR Grille in CityWalk but compare very favorably with the ones served at Jake’s American Bar at the Royal Pacific Resort. Hopefully after the cupcake craze slows down in the food industry we can see a focus on more pretzel related foods.
Pretzel Sticks. Served with mustard sauce and homemade queso. $9.49
Margaritaville offers chicken wings in both boneless and traditional styles. We got the Jamaica Mistaica flavor, which is a jerk-style sauce. Tasty, and very similar to what you would get at a Buffalo Wild Wings or Duffy’s sports bar down in Orlando.
Traditional Wings in Jamaica Mistaica sauce (jerk glaze). $11.99
The White Cheddar Cheese Curds are worth going out of your way to try, especially with the great Landshark Lager BBQ sauce that is served with them. One of the better appetizers I have had at any restaurant.
White Cheddar Cheese Curds.Served with Landshark Lager BBQ and marinara sauce. $10.99
May was National Burger Month, and Margaritaville had several burgers that will only be on the menu for this month including the Baja Burger, Bayou Burger and Chimichurri Burger, but we went with Jimmy Buffet’s signature Cheeseburger in Paradise. The serving size is huge, and each bite combines each flavor perfectly. I know, I hate sounding like an ad, too, but we waited a long time to try this burger and it lived up to its billing.
The one, the only, Cheeseburger in Paradise. $12.99
We finished our meal with a dessert that is so good you need to stop reading this immediately and head to CityWalk. These new dessert shooters rank up there with the best UOR has to offer. Our favorites were the Red Velvet, Triple Chocolate, and the Peanut Butter ones. Served with chilled spoons, these shooters combined with the new Chocolate Hurricane make Margaritaville place the go-to place on property for unique, fun, and great tasting desserts.
Dessert shooters
On the other end of good tasting snacks comes this entry from the Margaritaville gift shop. As a person always on the lookout for Outrageous Food Items at the theme parks, this one definitely goes on the list.
Actual worm inside each one. Don’t tell PETA.
One of the moving walkways from the parking garages to CityWalk was down for repair.
The Universal Cineplex 20 in CityWalk is about to start airing all 8 of the Harry Potter films on the big screen. RELIVE THE MAGIC OF HARRY POTTER runs May 30 through July 24, and each showing costs $6.50 per ticket.
This section of CityWalk as the Hart & Huntington tattoo shop on the right and the soon-opening Menchies on the left with BreadBox right behind it. It will be interesting to see if Universal can figure out a way to drive more guests to this area once open.
Closer view of Menchies
Closer view of Breadbox
Over at Red Oven Pizza Bakery two new pizzas arrived on the menu: Vegetariano and Pear & Fig.
We tried the Pear & Fig. A great addition to the menu, and it’s always good to see more vegetarian items show up at either WDW or UOR.
Over at Universal Studios Florida, this cabbie character has started to show up a lot more frequently. While there we got to see the Blues Brothers drive by in their car and had a wonderful interaction with the cabbie as they had fun with each other.
They have had this unbelievably priced ($250) Giant minion for a while now, but wanted to show a size of scale with another minion next to it. The quality on the smaller minion is actually great for a $24.95 plush.
The new Transformers movie, Age of Extinction, opens on June 27, and new Dinobot toys have started to show up at The Supply Vault (Transformers The Ride: 3D’s gift shop.) The 8 year old in me – whose parents were too cheap and bought him GO BOTS by the way – almost cried seeing these. They are fantastic, but pricy. They all range from $18.95 to $24.95. You can find them cheaper at Toys R Us or stores like Target but there’s something to be said about getting a Dinobot after riding Transformers.
Over at ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE The Cat in the Hat attraction has been added to the height requirement board. Until this week it has had no height requirement but did require guests under 48″ to be riding with a supervising adult. It has been rumored that this change was put into place because some of the smaller guests were able to squeeze themselves around the ride restraints. Many were hoping the height change was added because the ride was going to spin more (and faster), but so far that is not the case.
Photo courtesy of @AmusementBuzz
Several new Potter-related items have started to show up for sale within Islands of Adventure, gearing up for the new stores that will open with Diagon Alley. The original Wizarding World of Harry Potter completely changed the game in three areas. The first one we all know, the complete immersion in a land. Everything feels real completely unlike a theme park. The second is the unique food and beverage options (without the success of Butterbeer and chocolate frogs, would Universal ever had made a risk on Fast Food Boulevard? And the third is the huge leap in brand specific merchandise.
A new element in Hogsmeade Village, a cauldron that can swing back and forth, shows the attention to detail that is paid to everything within this magical land.
Every trip to IOA, I stop into the only working comic shop in any theme park. This time I bought at issue of Daredevil and found out you can get a bag and board for 25 cents. This store only sells Marvel comic books (and action figures, shirts, trade paperbacks), but over in Universal Studios Florida the Terminator 2: 3D gift store offers a wide selection of DC and Image comic books, including The Walking Dead.
Some of the comics available at IOA
We concluded our day by making a quick trip to the new Cabana Bay Beach Resort. The bus loading area at CityWalk has been slightly moved to around the corner and is now shaded. There was a bus waiting for us at CityWalk to take us to Cabana Bay and then a bus at Cabana Bay waiting to take us back to CityWalk. No waiting. Not sure how long that will last, but if Disney’s bus service was anywhere close to this good, I wouldn’t recommend people always rent a car even if staying on WDW property.
While we are waiting for Menchies to open in CityWalk, The Bayliner Diner at Cabana Bay has a frozen yogurt machine where you can make your own sundae and add whatever toppings you want. Flavors of yogurt include vanilla, birthday cake, strawberry and mango sorbet.
Fresh fruit toppings bar
More toppings, some not Mom Approved
I want one of these in my house
GARDEN WALKWAY
The garden walkway and bridge that will connect Cabana Bay to the walkway in front of the Royal Pacific is still coming along. It looks more massive than anyone expected. This looks like it will be quite the sight to see once it is fully done.
The changes at the Universal Orlando Resort seem to be moving faster than anyone can keep up with. I’m really looking forward to my next trip and seeing what it looks like next.
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Observations from the Universal Orlando Resort – May 26, 2014 (Margaritaville, Red Oven, Cabana Bay, and more) is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Updated 5/29/14 – Job Opening: TouringPlans.com Is Looking for a Few Good Bloggers
Update: we’ve received so many applications that we’re going to set a deadline of midnight Friday, May 30, for submission. I apologize to anyone who can’t make this, but I need to have time to give each one the consideration it deserves. Thanks for your understanding.
Do you love Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Orlando, or Disney Cruise Line? Want to write about it? Want to get PAID to write about it? We’d like to hear from you.
In addition to having a passion for the destinations we cover, we’re looking for folks who:
Can write clearly within the style of our blog with few to no grammatical or spelling mistakes.
Are able to commit to at least one 500-1000 word article per week for the next 6 months.
Have a love for fact-based articles about theme parks.
Are able to write candidly and objectively about Disney or Universal without veering off into hyperbole.
Are willing to not just write, but answer questions from readers in the comments section of an article after it’s published.
Are interested in or have experience with Google Analytics – we measure the viewer metrics for all our authors and encourage authors to focus on articles that appeal to our readers.
Maintain a professional, friendly presence on social media (both your own and for TouringPlans).
Understand SEO and know why it’s important.
Know how to produce articles in WordPress or are willing to learn.
Are comfortable with photography. You don’t need to have a huge camera, but you should be able to compose and edit a photo that doesn’t look amateurish. Camera phones are fine.
The ability to produce short videos is a plus.
We offer:
Payment per article at a flat rate based on the effort involved in producing it. It’s not a huge amount (up to $25 per article), but, if you write regularly, you can make enough money to defray some of your travel costs.
Reimbursement for anything we ask you to review – a tour, meal, show, etc. We do not reimburse for travel expenses, hotels, or park admission unless we send you somewhere.
A huge audience for your work – we are one of the biggest Disney/theme park focused sites out there.
Fun. You’ll be writing about theme parks – what’s better than that?
FAQ:
Q. I blog for another site or my own site, can I keep doing that?
A. Of course. If we send you to review something, we expect the article to run on our site first. You are free to promote your own theme park-related site in your bio and within reason in your articles.
Q. Do I have to live in Central Florida or Southern California?
A. No, but we expect that you will travel often enough to the theme parks to be able to provide current information and photos.
Q. Do you have any other job openings right now?
A. No, we don’t.
Next steps:
Send your resume and a writing sample that includes photos to blog@touringplans.com with the subject “May 2014 Job Openings.” You may send the writing sample as a Word or Pages doc, a link to a Google doc, or a PDF. Don’t send it as inline text in your email. Include your contact info on the writing sample. You may also send us a link to a specific article on your blog that showcases your best work. Do not send a link to the home page of your blog and say “hey, just read my blog to check out my writing style.” Resumes should be sent as attachments. We encourage you to have someone proofread both your writing sample and resume before you send it to us.
In your email, tell us a little about yourself and why you’d like to write for us.
Finally, include in your email a paragraph that shows the correct use of “its,” “it’s,” “there,” “they’re,” and “their” and expound on the subject “The Oxford Comma, a Case For/Against It.” This is not a joke.
If you have any questions, email blog@touringplans.com. If you know someone who would be a great writer for this site, please send them a link.
If we’re interested in your application, we’ll contact you with the next steps to apply. We hope to bring people on by June 15, 2014. We may not be able to reply to everyone interested in blogging for us.
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Updated 5/29/14 – Job Opening: TouringPlans.com Is Looking for a Few Good Bloggers is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
PotterWatch: Gringotts Dragon Arrives and Opening Date Rumors
It has been an exciting week in PotterWatch, as the iconic “weenie” of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Diagon Alley arrived at Universal Studios Florida. Let’s take a look at the massive Gringotts Dragon, and talk about new opening date rumors.
Gringotts Dragon Arrives
On May 24, the ginormous fire-breathing “Ukranian Ironbelly” dragon that perches atop Gringotts Bank was lowered into place inside Diagon Alley. Our friend Hate To Fly was on hand to capture its arrival:
Photo via @HateToFly
The Gringotts dragon was quickly covered in scaffolding, but you can still see his head and tail peeking out from the opposite side the lagoon.
View of the Gringotts dragon from the top of The Simpsons Ride. (Photos by Seth Kubersky)
While there has been much speculation as to whether the dragon would be static or animated, it appears that some mechanical movement of the limbs is likely, in addition to the announced fire-breathing effect.
Diagon Alley London Waterfront Updates
Aside from the dragon’s appearance, many additional details are falling into place along the London Waterfront in front of Diagon Alley.
The stone lions beneath the lamp posts along the embankment have been aged, and staining has been applied to approximately half of the waterfront wall.
Benches have arrived along the waterfront, with lovely decorative details…
…but no matter how badly you want to get inside Diagon Alley, please don’t use them for this!
This is why we can’t have nice things…
Kreacher the house elf can now be glimpsed peeking out of Grimmauld Place! The mechanical figure is reminicent of the Evil Queen from Snow White’s Scary Adventures.
Before we exit the area, note that the wooded berm behind Diagon Alley looks nearly complete.
Hogsmeade Forest
Over at Islands of Adventure, the transitional area between Hogsmeade Station and The Lost Continent has gained some trees to complement the large stones that were installed previously.
Nearby, the facade of the cauldron shop next to the tea shop received new signage not long ago:
Lastly, the projectors in the third dome carousel inside Forbidden Journey were recently upgraded with a much brighter, sharper image. Hopefully this improvement will soon be rolled out to the ride’s other screens.
Opening Date Rumors
Ever since the Diagon Alley VIP Media Event was announced for June 17-20, speculation about the yet-unannounced official opening date has shifted into high gear. Here’s what we’ve heard recently:
“Mock service” training, in which Team Members take turns playing guests at the new shops and restaurants, is scheduled for May 30 and 31.
Limited public “technical rehearsals” (often referred to as “soft opening”) could begin on June 7.
New vacation packages featuring guaranteed entry into Diagon Alley (including breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron) are now available for travel beginning June 29.
The latest word from multiple sources (including the Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast) indicates a target opening date of June 26.
As always, take all unconfirmed rumors with a grain of salt. But either way, it appears like it will only be a matter of weeks before we know first-hand exactly what’s new in the Wizarding World!
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PotterWatch: Gringotts Dragon Arrives and Opening Date Rumors is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
May 28, 2014
The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! May 2014 Photo Report of the Disney Outlet Store
By Derek Burgan
Is it already the end of May? This month flew by. It seem we just celebrated Cinco de Mayo at La Cava del Tequila. We saw the annual running of the Kentucky Derby and the beginning of Star Wars Weekends. We rocked our Disney Side at the Magic Kingdom’s 24 Hour Event and we got to ride the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in soft opens. Meanwhile over at Universal a Dragon showed up at Diagon Alley and work on the rumored King Kong attraction at Islands of Adventure is in full swing. It has been insanely busy, but we couldn’t forget about our monthly pilgrimage to the Disney Outlet Store!
March’s trip to the Outlet Store brought us unsold Valentine’s Day Duffy Bears from February while April’s visit saw several St. Patrick’s Day items show up. Surprisingly enough only two Easter items arrived at the Outlets so far. One is in the form of this Easter Egg Duffy Bear plush. Originally $20, it is now $9.99.
Turns out this Humpty Dumpty got pushed off the wall.
There are three entrances into the Outlet Store and each door has a different display in front of it when you walk in. One spotlight item of the store this month was the Disney Babies in a Blanket dolls. Originally $22.95, these were all reduced to $12.99 each.
Another spotlight was given to a couple other Disney animals, this time a pair of felines in the form of Alice in Wonderland‘s Cheshire Cat and The Aristocats‘ Marie.
One of the only pieces of Muppets merch in the entire store was this Animal plush. Originally $14.95 it is now $9.95. I’m going to make a guess that since Muppets Most Wanted is pretty much done with its theatrical run, we’ll probably see several more Muppets pieces related to that film arrive sooner than later.
This huge Oswald the scary lucky rabbit plush is marked down to just $18.99. I’m assuming whatever money you save will be spent on future psychiatric appointments.
Lots of pins showed up this month, including an Epcot 82 one for the fanboys.
At the store I couldn’t figure out what these weird cars pins were supposed to be, but just realized putting the picture up they must be Chip & Dale versions. I hope that psychiatrist offers a group rate.
And you thought Flo’s Cafe in Cars Land serving human food made no sense…
On the other end of the spectrum is this cute Chip & Dale pin for the Living with the Land boat ride. Notice at the bottom it says “This paper embedded with wildflower.” I have no idea what that means, but it sounds impressive.
I thought this next pin was for the Unleash the Villains party that Disney had at Hollywood Studios on Friday the 13th last September. However this pin is in Spanish and it was part of a group of pins from the Disney Design Group that all seemed to have “13″ in their design. Hopefully someone in the comments can clue us all in.
This week we celebrated Memorial Day and I wrote a very special edition of the SATURDAY SIX for the special occasion that looked at tributes to America within the theme parks. I’ll wait here while you take a minute to click this link and read it. Feel free to leave a comment on how much your heart grew from American pride while taking it all in. Anyway, back at the outlets we had this GREAT GIFT IDEA in the form of an American Adventure Leather Bracelet. Not sure that the audience who is into The American Adventure at Epcot is the same who would wear a leather bracelet, but what do I know.
Speaking of Epcot, there were more Epcot 30 shirts on sale for $9.99, including this one for the France pavilion.
I do like the Epcot 30 logo on the sleeves of these shirts.
I’m gonnna need some more help from you, Dear Reader, to figure out what the heck these things are.
They all open up, but the case is so small it holds almost nothing. Well, almost nothing.
They were $11.99 each (reduced from $19.95) and I had to buy the Donald Duck in Carbonite one. I man c’mon, it showed both the front and the back.
Now I love Star Wars, but not enough to buy this Darth Vader koosh ball.
Star Wars insulted cup.
These are the first shot glasses I have ever seen that actively make me want to take a drink, just to make me forget that I saw them. Originally $24.95, now $13.99. You’ll see in the background they still have a ton of the Storybook Circus shot glasses. Shocking that an area of the Magic Kingdom that is dedicated to the youngest guests is having a hard time selling them shot glasses.
For the 8 year old who drinks coffee, this Storybook Circus coffee mug is $8.99 (originally $12.99). FOR THE RECORD, I will retract all these statements if on my next trip to Universal Studios Florida I discover they sell Barney the Dinosaur shot glasses and Curious George coffee mugs. Lock that one in.
Big wall of Monsters University merch, including a Sully holding Mike plush doll I saw at Once Upon a Toy in Downtown Disney just two weeks before.
Test Track hats. Originally $24.95, now $9.99.
A Display of Cinderella merch that more than likely came from Tren-D in Downtown Disney.
Prince Charming shirt $9.99 (originally $24.95)
These princess collection dolls were $18.99 for each set. For those wondering there were ZERO pieces of merch for anything Frozen related.
Let’s head on over to some clothing. I really liked this style of the Fab Five. Originally $32.95, now $14.99.
This Daisy and Donald Duck one is literally the same two characters just plopped onto another shirt. Same price.
Speaking of ducks, you would think there is a character in the Disney library who may work better for this shirt than Mickey Mouse….
The next couple shirts were all $9.99 each.
Very sharp looking Disney’s Boardwalk Resort golf shirt.
This week’s SATURDAY SIX proper was on the Six Best Coasters in Orlando and one of the biggest comments both on the article itself and on the TouringPlans Lines app was people thinking that Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster should be on the list. I will admit that I love the launch of RNR Coaster and it’s definitely one of the best six rides at Hollywood Studios (there are six rides, right?) but it holds the record for most amount of awful shirts made for any roller coaster in history. Yes, that fact shouldn’t count against it but since I’m the one who has to look at all these shirts I’m gonna count it anyway. Here’s the latest example…
This shirt for The Cavern is the second one I have seen at the Outlets and brings me back to the incredible tour I had at the Hard Rock Cafe in CityWalk. The history of The Cavern and British rock can not be overstated.
Speaking of British rock, here’s a couple shirts for The Beatles. I’m assuming all of this merchandise came from the UK pavilion in World Showcase.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band shirt ($27.95)
A commemorative coffee (tea?) mug to celebrate the birth of Prince George. $16.95 (originally $24.95). I wonder if there are people in England who collect George W. Bush merchandise? These are the type of questions that keep me up at nights. In fact, I’m gonna buy a whole bunch of Tervis Tumblers, slap a picture of Obama’s dog Sunny on them, and ship them all to Piccadilly Circus in London with a note that reads “With compliments from Messrs. Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Lincoln. Mischief managed.“
Last month some of the “Blank – A Vinylmation Love Story” vinylmations showed up, and this month they had a whole end cap.
Time to head towards the big finale. Here’s a Lightning McQueen figure for your Christmas Village collection complete with a Santa Claus mechanic…
This is great. Apparently this series of Toy Story vinylmations is supposed to be as if the characters were drawn by little kids. WHO IS BUYING THIS?! My guess is not many because every single regular vinylmation (and even the two-packs) are $4.99 each and these Toy Story ones were $3.99.
Oh, but that wasn’t the highlight. You may remember back in March I wrote about the craziest vinylmation I had ever seen. The Meet & Greet Mickey super sized vinylmation. Apparently someone in Disney Consumer Products saw my description of that figure and figured they could make it even MORE NONSENSICAL….
Like the original Meet & Greet Mickey vinylmation, this was also a limited edition print run of 500 and was originally priced at $49.95 per figure. The Outlets had them reduced down to $14.95 The lowest number I could find is 80/500. If this figure is released in any more 100% next level bananas color variations we will have concrete proof I am being trolled by someone inside Disney Merchandise.
There are actually two Disney outlet stores in Orlando. Both are in Orlando Premium Outlet shopping complexes, and they are called Disney’s Character Warehouse, presumably because The Land Of Misfit Toys was already trademarked. There is one Character Warehouse located on International Drive close to Universal Studios (4951 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819), and the other is on Vineland Avenue, right across I-4 near the exits to Disney World (8200 Vineland Ave, Orlando, FL 32821). For this edition of MMM, we went to the location near Universal.
Previous editions of Magic, Memories and Merch: July 2013, August 2013, September 2013, October 2013, November 2013, December 2013, January 2014, February 2014, March 2014, & April 2014.
If you liked what you read here, you may enjoy THE SATURDAY SIX articles every week on the TouringPlans.com blog, as well as the Pardon the Pixie Dust podcast.
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The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! May 2014 Photo Report of the Disney Outlet Store is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Review; Educating teh Childrens; MagicBands Update
By Len Testa
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Review
On Friday I was in the Magic Kingdom for its annual 24-hour event, and got to ride the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, the last part of the New Fantasyland construction project that began in 2010.
The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as seen from the Be Our Guest queue in Fantasyland.
There are a lot of things to like about the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. For one, it’s faster than I expected, but not so fast that it would frighten small children. Also, the ride track is much smoother than any comparable ride in the Magic Kingdom. This should be good news for both families and for seniors who want to avoid the rough ride of attractions like Big Thunder Mountain.
The outdoor queue is very pretty at night, with dramatic lighting and a background soundtrack that incorporates forest sounds such as chirping crickets. The interactive games in the queue, where you “sort” and “wash” gems on a horizontal screen built to look like a mine trough, are fun and easier for children to play than, say, those at Space Mountain.
The final show scene – with Snow White and Dopey dancing – is done well.
On board the ride, the animatronic effects in the cottage scene at the end, which shows Snow White dancing with the dwarfs, is quite good. The animatronic Snow White’s movements are fluid, and the effect lets you believe she’s really “dancing” long enough to get you through that scene. While Disney has hyped the scene of the dwarfs inside the mine as the central show element, I think this scene is done better.
The other thing I really like about the ride is that it doesn’t try to tell you the entire Snow White story in 90 seconds; the ride ends in the middle of the narrative, with the evil queen about to knock on the cottage door. I think every other Fantasyland attraction tries to compress an entire story inside the ride, even when doing so has to sacrifice an important part of plot (I’m looking at you, Journey of the Little Mermaid). That’s a clever bit of storytelling, and the Imagineers who thought of it should design more rides.
That said, Seven Dwarfs is only the fourth best of the Magic Kingdom’s five roller coasters (counting Splash Mountain), and I’d give Seven Dwarfs Mine Train around 3 ½ stars on our 5-star grading scale. Here’s why.
First, the ride is short. If you exclude the lift hills and the time you spend creeping along in the central mine scene, I’m thinking there might be around 40 seconds of actual ride time, maybe a little more. If 7DMT is supposed to fit a niche between the Barnstormer and Big Thunder, the ride time is closer to Barnstormer. My cynical theory here is that Disney decided on the slow-motion ride through mine scene as an inexpensive(ish) way to pad out the ride to a reasonable length, instead of paying for more track.
Second, the swinging effect is much less noticeable than I would have thought. Riders in the front and middle cars may not even realize they’re swinging – it feels more like a set of really tight, banked turns. Families I spoke with after riding say the swinging is more pronounced at the back of the train, and you can ask Castmembers for those seats at the boarding area.
Third, there don’t seem to be many visual features to the ride. Unlike, say, Big Thunder, which has mine equipment strewn throughout the layout and gags placed in various scenes, the trip here doesn’t seem to have interesting artifacts or in-depth story references along the way. I mean, there are approximately eight bajillion public domain fairy tales set in German forests from which Disney could have pulled jokes or funny references for free, so lack of material isn’t the issue. I’m pretty sure this would be relatively easy to add, however, and looking for gags might make re-riding more enjoyable.
And while there’s a lot of colorful, sparkling gems in the mine scene, the dazzle only lasts for a few seconds before you realize there’s not much more to see. It’s a lot like the inside of the major show scene at Journey of the Little Mermaid, where Disney went with dozens of simple spinning animatronics rather than attempt anything sophisticated.
Sure, the projection technology driving the dwarfs’ facial expressions may be a solid technical achievement, but the dwarfs’ faces represents maybe 20 square feet out of a couple thousand cubic feet of space, and any subtle details there are lost.
Finally, it’s surprising that the ride experience is worse at night. While you get glimpses of the lighting effects at other Fantasyland attractions from various points around the ride, most of the area inside the ride boundary at night is just inky blackness. The queue lighting is vastly better and more nuanced, so perhaps the outdoor lighting isn’t yet finished? But for now, the nighttime visual experience is more more like Space Mountain (which is indoors, and in the dark), than Big Thunder or Splash Mountain.
Should you ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train? Yes, if you can get a FastPass+ reservation or happen upon a short (ha!) wait. Most of the families I spoke to who’d been on the ride said that they’re be willing to wait maybe 30 minutes to re-ride it, but not more. That sounds like good advice to me.
Educating teh Childrens
Early last week we did a presentation to Furman University math students in class MXP-205 “Math & The Mouse: Explorations of Mathematics and Science in Walt Disney World.” These 12 students are in Disney for 3 weeks, along with 3 faculty members, covering the math, science, and operations research problems that tourists typically encounter in Disney World. The students are blogging about their class lectures and assignments here.
Our presentation, held in the posh Columbia Harbour House conference center (i.e., the upstairs dining room), covered the pros and cons of different algorithms for creating touring plans, the “big data” problem of predicting wait times at attractions, how the Least Expensive Ticket Calculator is an instance of the classic bin-packing problem, and how a system of linear equations can tell you the value of each component in the Disney Dining Plan. Our statisticians Fred and Steve then went in to much more detail about the practical problems faced when doing wait time predictions, and the tools we developed to check our results. Here’s a link to my presentation (PDF).
It was a lot of fun to talk in detail about stuff we work on behind the scenes. And it was also scary to see how much the students had already learned about these topics. One of the very first questions we got was on how we handled asymmetric walking times, i.e., when the ride’s entrance and exit were very far apart, such as at the Studios’ One Man’s Dream. That’s the kind of nuanced detail I would have expected from, you know, advanced grad students or commercial developers. The class’ professors, Drs Bouzarth, Harris, and Hutson, did a great job in teaching the background material for the class.
MagicBands / My Disney Experience Update
My MagicBand worked flawlessly on both trips last week, and my FastPass+ reservations were redeemed without a hitch. Disney’s website is much easier to use with FastPass+ now.
I had a couple of issues with the check-in process and with My Disney Experience:
Despite doing on-line check-in, and providing a credit card, cell phone number and email address to use when my room was ready, I never got notification that a room was ready and had to go to the front desk to check in.Even stranger, I was told that because I didn’t check in at the front desk (I went directly to the Magic Kingdom for the 24-hour event), my room reservation could have been cancelled and reassigned when I didn’t show up that night.That’s not how it should have worked. What should have happened is that Disney’s systems should have figured out that I was on property, because I (a) was using the MagicBand in the Magic Kingdom that night, (b) lived in North Carolina, and thus was far enough from home that driving back wasn’t a likely option, (c) the Magic Kingdom was hosting a 24-hour event, so people were going to stay in the park.The upshot is that even if you’re using online check-in and providing contact information, Disney may not check you in automatically.
I found out in a Magic Kingdom restaurant that the PIN I set online didn’t actually get applied to my MagicBand or to the bands of anyone in my party. PIN problems seem endemic to MagicBands, and I have to think there’s a fundamental flaw with how Disney’s computer system handles them; I don’t think my success rate with them is above 20%.
Even though RFID readers are attached to the side doors at each Art of Animation building, they never worked with my MagicBand on either reservation. And since the side doors are closest to the parking lot at many of the buildings, the fact that the side doors don’t work mean that you have to lug your bags all the way around the building to get in. It should be simple enough to enable access to these doors for people who have MagicBands attached to rooms on the appropriate floor.
That’s it for now. If you’ve experienced the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, leave your comments on it below.
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Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Review; Educating teh Childrens; MagicBands Update is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
May 27, 2014
Job Opening: TouringPlans.com Is Looking for a Few Good Bloggers
Do you love Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Orlando, or Disney Cruise Line? Want to write about it? Want to get PAID to write about it? We’d like to hear from you.
In addition to having a passion for the destinations we cover, we’re looking for folks who:
Can write clearly within the style of our blog with few to no grammatical or spelling mistakes.
Are able to commit to at least one 500-1000 word article per week for the next 6 months.
Have a love for fact-based articles about theme parks.
Are able to write candidly and objectively about Disney or Universal without veering off into hyperbole.
Are willing to not just write, but answer questions from readers in the comments section of an article after it’s published.
Are interested in or have experience with Google Analytics – we measure the viewer metrics for all our authors and encourage authors to focus on articles that appeal to our readers.
Maintain a professional, friendly presence on social media (both your own and for TouringPlans).
Understand SEO and know why it’s important.
Know how to produce articles in WordPress or are willing to learn.
Are comfortable with photography. You don’t need to have a huge camera, but you should be able to compose and edit a photo that doesn’t look amateurish. Camera phones are fine.
The ability to produce short videos is a plus.
We offer:
Payment per article at a flat rate based on the effort involved in producing it. It’s not a huge amount (up to $25 per article), but, if you write regularly, you can make enough money to defray some of your travel costs.
Reimbursement for anything we ask you to review – a tour, meal, show, etc. We do not reimburse for travel expenses, hotels, or park admission unless we send you somewhere.
A huge audience for your work – we are one of the biggest Disney/theme park focused sites out there.
Fun. You’ll be writing about theme parks – what’s better than that?
FAQ:
Q. I blog for another site or my own site, can I keep doing that?
A. Of course. If we send you to review something, we expect the article to run on our site first. You are free to promote your own theme park-related site in your bio and within reason in your articles.
Q. Do I have to live in Central Florida or Southern California?
A. No, but we expect that you will travel often enough to the theme parks to be able to provide current information and photos.
Q. Do you have any other job openings right now?
A. No, we don’t.
Next steps:
Send your resume and a writing sample that includes photos to blog@touringplans.com with the subject “May 2014 Job Openings.” You may send the writing sample as a Word or Pages doc, a link to a Google doc, or a PDF. Don’t send it as inline text in your email. Include your contact info on the writing sample. You may also send us a link to a specific article on your our blog that showcases your best work. Do not send a link to the home page of your blog and say “hey, just read my blog to check out my writing style.” Resumes should be sent as attachments. We encourage you to have someone proofread both your writing sample and resume before you send it to us.
In your email, tell us a little about yourself and why you’d like to write for us.
Finally, include in your email a paragraph that shows the correct use of “its,” “it’s,” “there,” “they’re,” and “their” and expound on the subject “The Oxford Comma, a Case For/Against It.” This is not a joke.
If you have any questions, email blog@touringplans.com. If you know someone who would be a great writer for this site, please send them a link.
If we’re interested in your application, we’ll contact you with the next steps to apply. We hope to bring people on by June 15, 2014. We may not be able to reply to everyone interested in blogging for us.
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Disney World Crowd Report – May 18 to 24, 2014
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Crowds at Walt Disney World held steady last week with only one park reaching a crowd level above ‘7’ on our scale. Other than that, most days the parks were about average, between ‘4’ and ‘6’. Crowds at Disney Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom were more often lower than expected. In the case of the Studios, perhaps guests are pushing their Studios visit to the weekend to experience the Star Wars festivities. Highlights of the week included Star Wars Weekend and “Rock Your Disney Side”, the Magic Kingdom’s 24-hour summer kick off.
Let’s look at how the crowd levels stacked up each day last week:
Walt Disney World Resort Crowd Levels – Daily Breakdown
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
5
6
Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studios went opposite directions from our predictions. Soarin’ and Test Track averaged 69 and 64 minutes respectively while Spaceship Earth averaged 24 minutes, a ’10’ on our scale. At The Studios Toy Story Mania reached an average wait time of 68 minutes, much lower than the 85 minutes we predicted.
Epcot
5
7
Hollywood Studios
6
3
Animal Kingdom
5
6
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
5
5
Monday’s predictions missed only at The Studios and only by one. Early week crowds continue to be much lighter than crowds later in the week, a trend that has been prominent through late April and May.
Epcot
3
3
Hollywood Studios
3
2
Animal Kingdom
5
5
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
5
5
Tuesday’s crowd at Disney Hollywood Studios was the lowest of 2014. All Studios attractions ended up as a ‘1’ on our scale. Toy Story Mania averaged 53 minutes while Star Tours and Great Movie Ride were a walk-on all day.
Epcot
4
5
Hollywood Studios
5
1
Animal Kingdom
5
6
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
4
5
Extra Magic Hour morning at The Studios brought a slightly higher crowd on Wednesday but not by much. Animal Kingdom saw lower than expected crowds as well. At Magic Kingdom the warm weather pushed Splash Mountain’s average wait time to 52 minutes, the highest in the park.
Epcot
3
3
Hollywood Studios
4
2
Animal Kingdom
5
3
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
5
5
The Studios was the best choice on Thursday, as predicted. Other parks stayed close to predictions as well with no park averaging wait times above average.
Epcot
4
5
Hollywood Studios
3
1
Animal Kingdom
6
4
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
6
6
Rock Your Disney Side! Magic Kingdom opened for 24 hours straight beginning at 6:00am on Friday morning. The crowd was dominated by locals and annual passholders who took an opportunity to experience a soft opening of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Wait times were moderate throughout the day so our prediction of a crowd level ‘6’ between 10am and 5pm proved correct. Friday was a surprisingly good choice to experience Star Wars Weekend at The Studios, which had a crowd level ‘2’.
Epcot
5
5
Hollywood Studios
5
2
Animal Kingdom
7
5
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
7
5
Our predictions for Saturday put crowds higher than average for the first time all week. That turned out to be correct at Animal Kingdom and Epcot while Magic Kingdom and The Studios stayed average.
Epcot
7
8
Hollywood Studios
6
5
Animal Kingdom
7
6
What to Expect This Week
May 25 to 31, 2014
The Crowd Report
Memorial Day is over, so is “Rock Your Disney Side” but soon, school districts will approach the end of their respective school years and we will see summer crowds begin. June can be a good time of year to visit if your kids are done school in the middle of the month, the peak of summer crowds will not begin until late June.
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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Car Masters Weekends Returns to Downtown Disney
©Disney
With Memorial Day officially in the books, it’s now time to start thinking about dad. Father’s Day is right around the corner and if you’ll be in the Walt Disney World area on June 14-15, and are a fan of all things having to do with cars, have I got the perfect day for you!
Car Masters Weekend, an event celebrating all things automotive, will be returning to Downtown Disney. This is the 4th year for the celebration and activities will abound during the fantastically fun weekend!
The main event is the Car Show, presented by Meguiar’s, where approximately 100 classic, muscle, and exotic cars will be on display. Fans can even vote for their favorite. Then on Sunday, the best of the best will be crowned during an awards ceremony.
Car Masters Weekend is a perfect family event, featuring a ton of entertaining action. Lightning McQueen, Finn McMissle, and Mater from Cars 2, will be on hand for photo opportunities. In addition, at the AMC Downtown Disney 24, there will be a Cars and Cars 2 movie marathon. Plus, if you want to meet an actual Pixar filmmaker, Jay Ward will be on hand to take part in Q&A sessions.
Speaking of Cars, for guests who want to meet an automotive legend, Chip Foose, who contributed to the design of Ramone in the film Cars, will once again be on hand for presentations where he’ll share his passion for cars. In addition, he’ll have brand-new merchandise for sale throughout the weekend.
A couple of new events have been added to the roster of this year’s festivities. First, a real fire truck will be on hand, promoting the upcoming movie, Disney’s Planes: Fire and Rescue. Little ones will even get to try on authentic firefighter gear. The new Piston Cup Racers from the Richard Petty Driving Experience will be there too! Guests can get up-close with Aiken Axler and Sage VanDerSpin, part of the new Junior Ride-Along Program. Also new for this year will be the Chevrolet Performance Mobile Tour, where guests can take a seat in some of the latest Test Track vehicles. Finally, there will be an all new Event Expo.
This is all just the tip of the iceberg. Guests will also have the opportunity to take part in face painting, dine on themed food and beverage offerings, experience live entertainment, enjoy interactive activities from Disney Interactive, and more!
Car Masters Weekend is sure to be great family-filled fun and is the perfect way to spend a little quality time with dad this Father’s Day.
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Disney Vacation Club 101: Accommodations – What Do You Get?
This is the second in our series of articles on Disney Vacation Club. You can read the introduction to DVC at Disney Vacation Club (DVC) 101: What is DVC?
One of the draws of buying into Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is the wide range of accommodations you can book. Studios are most like the other regular hotel rooms at Walt Disney World. Villas, which range from one- to three-bedroom units, are a whole of level of vacationing. There are similarities and differences in all these between the resorts. Hopefully having everything in front of you at once will help you compare and choose the best rooms for you and your family.
Before you read this, I’d like to thank Disney.com for making this information transparent and easy to find…but I can’t. So instead, a big shout out goes to the following sites who helped me fill in the blanks:
David’s Vacation Club Rentals
DVCNews.com
Mouseowners
AllEars.Net
Elegant and spacious living at the Grand Floridian Villas
Also, when there was conflicting information online, I went with the majority when possible or my best guess or recollection from a previous stay. Finally, any errors in these charts that can’t be explained any other way are probably the result of the cat trying to help with my typing – call it feline error.
A note about room capacity: all DVC rooms can also have a child in a Pack N Play (you’ll find it in the closet) who doesn’t count against your capacity numbers.
Hey, Laurel, what’s this “sleeper chair” thing I keep seeing? Think of a big, cushy upholstered chair, then imagine folding out the seat like a chaise lounge. That’s a sleeper chair. Would I sleep in one? No. Would I put a kid in one and not think twice about it? Yes.
OK, what about the “trundle bed?” It’s a bed that flips down from the cabinet the TV is on. No, I haven’t slept in one, though I did see that they’re easy to pull out when I stayed in a Grand Floridian one bedroom in April.
For more information about the Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts listed below check out our pages on them:
Old Key West
Boardwalk Villas
Beach Club Villas
Wilderness Lodge Villas
Saratoga Springs Resort and the Treehouse Villas
Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House and Kidani Village
Bay Lake Tower
Grand Floridian Villas
Grand California Villas
How the DVC Studios Line Up
First let’s look at a studio. All DVC resorts have studios. They are most like a regular hotel room in square footage, but you may be surprised to hear their layouts are different. Studios (except Old Key West) have only one bed. So if you’re traveling with a family of 3 or more, someone is sleeping on the sofa despite the room capacity of 5. The value studios at Jambo house are converted standard rooms, which explains their small size.
Resort
Capacity
Sq Feet
Sq Feet of Non-DVC room
Baths
Beds
Other Sleeping Surfaces
Walt Disney World
Bay Lake Tower
4
339
394
1
1 queen
Sleeper sofa – double
Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo (value)
4
316
316
1
1 queen
Sleeper sofa – double
Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo (standard)
4
366
316
1
1 queen
Sleeper sofa – double
Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani
4
366
n/a
1
1 queen
Sleeper sofa – double
Beach Club Villas
4
365
381
1
1 queen
Sleeper sofa – double
Boardwalk Villas
4
359
371
1
1 queen
Sleeper sofa – double
Grand Floridian Villas
5
374
440
1
1 queen
Sleeper sofa – queen, twin trundle bed
Old Key West
4
390
n/a
1
2 queen
n/a
Saratoga Springs
4
355
n/a
1
1 queen
Sleeper sofa – double
Wilderness Lodge Villas
4
356
344
1
1 queen
Sleeper sofa – double, twin trundle bed
Disneyland
Grand Californian Villas
4
379
353
1
1 queen
Sleeper sofa – queen
Other
Aulani
4
356
382
1
1 queen
Sleeper sofa – queen
Hilton Head Resort
4
455
n/a
1
1 queen
Sleeper sofa – double
Vero Beach Resort
4
360
n/a
1
2 queen
n/a
One Bedroom Villas
This is where things start to get interesting, because you’re finally seeing where DVC accommodations shine. Villas have a master bedroom, full kitchen, and living room. They also have washers and dryers. If you hate coming home with lots of dirty clothes to wash, just want to pack lighter, or even if your kids can’t eat a Mickey bar without getting chocolate on their shirts, you’ll love the convenience of having these right in your room. You’ll notice that while the square footage of a one bedroom is more than twice that of a studio, the room capacity is the same or will hold one more person. A one bedroom is really for giving you more room to spread out. You’ll also notice that the newer resorts will have an extra half or full bathroom – which is very handy when people are getting ready in the mornings. The one bedroom is my preferred room type when traveling with my partner. We have room to work and aren’t elbowing each other out of the way. Passive-agressive “sharing” of the one desk/table in a hotel room isn’t a great way to get anything done.
Resort
Capacity
Sq Feet
Baths
Beds
Other Sleeping Surfaces
Walt Disney World
Bay Lake Tower
5
803
2
1 king
sleeper sofa – queen, sleeper chair – twin
Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo (value)
4
629
1
1 king
sleeper sofa – queen, sleeper chair – twin
Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo (standard)
5
802
1
1 king
sleeper sofa – queen
Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani
5
807
2
1 king
sleeper sofa – queen, sleeper chair – twin
Beach Club Villas
4
726
1
1 king
sleeper sofa – queen
Boardwalk Villas
4
712
1
1 king
sleeper sofa – queen
Grand Floridian Villas
5
844
1
1 king
Sleeper sofa – queen, twin trundle bed
Old Key West
5
942
1
1 king
sleeper sofa – queen, sleeper chair – twin
Saratoga Springs
4
714
1
1 king
sleeper sofa – queen
Wilderness Lodge Villas
4
727
1
1 king
sleeper sofa – queen
Disneyland
Grand Californian Villas
5
865
1 full, 1 half
1 king
sleeper sofa – queen, pull down bunk – twin
Other
Aulani
5
756
1
1 king
sleeper sofa – queen, pull down bunk – twin
Hilton Head Resort
4
865
1
1 king
sleeper sofa – queen
Vero Beach Resort
5
880
1
1 king
sleeper sofa – queen, sleeper chair – twin
Two Bedroom Villas
The two bedroom villas work great for couples traveling together, or families who don’t want to see their kids’ stuff all over the public areas. You’ll see some of the accommodations below listed as lock offs. Two bedroom units are either “dedicated” or “lock off.” A lock off is a studio with a connecting one bedroom. You’ll have two different entrances to your villa (your Magic Band/Key to the World card will unlock both doors). The size and amenities of a lock off equal those of a studio plus a one bedroom. I prefer a dedicated two bedroom, but take a look at the number and types of beds you get with each – it may sway you one way or the other. Again, newer resorts will have more bathrooms.
Resort
Capacity
Sq Feet
Baths
Beds
Other Sleeping Surfaces
Walt Disney World
Bay Lake Tower (lock off also available)
9
1152
1 king, 2 queen
sleeper sofa – queen, sleeper chair – twin
Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo – Value (lock off only)
Animal Kingdom Lodge -Jambo – standard (lock off only)
Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani (lock off also available)
9
1152
3
1 king, 2 queen
sleeper sofa – queen, sleeper chair – twin
Beach Club Villas (lock off also available)
8
1083
2
1 king, 1 queen/1 king, 2 queens
2 sleeper sofa – queen, 1 sleeper sofa – queen
Boardwalk Villas (lock off only)
**
**
**
**
**
Grand Floridian Villas (lock off also available)
9
1232
2
1 king, 2 queen
Sleeper sofa – queen, twin trundle bed
Old Key West (lock off also available)
9
1395
2
1 king, 2 queen
sleeper sofa – queen, sleeper chair – twin
Saratoga Springs (lock off also available)
8
1075
2
1 king, 2 queen
sleeper sofa – queen
Wilderness Lodge Villas (lock off also available)
8
1080
2
1 king, 2 queen
sleeper sofa – queen
Disneyland
Grand Californian Villas (lock off also available)
9
1257
3
1 king, 2 queen
sleeper sofa – queen, trundle bed – twin
Other
Aulani
9
1125
2 Full, 1 half
1 king, 2 queen
sleeper sofa – queen, sleeper chair – twin
Hilton Head Resort
8
1245
2
1 king, 2 queen
sleeper sofa – queen
Vero Beach Resort
9
1255
1 king, 1 queen
sleeper sofa – queen, sleeper sofa – full, sleeper chair – twin
Grand Villas. They’re real. And they’re spectacular. Bay Lake Tower photo courtesy of Tom Bricker.
Three Bedroom Villas
Finally the creme de la creme of DVC rooms – the Grand Villa. They’re big (huge in the case of the Grand Floridian). They’re well-decorated. They’ll hold 11 of your closest friends (or far more than that if you’re Len Testa). They’re also in limited supply. Not every resort has them. Boardwalk only has seven. Most are two levels. I have stayed in Grand Villas at Saratoga Springs, Bay Lake Tower, and Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani, and at the Treehouses. They. Are. Awesome. And they cost a whole lot of points. Grand Villas have a separate dining room, and tend to have great views because they’re nearly always on the top floors of their resorts. Treehouses are a different story. Treehouses have 3 bedrooms, but 2 baths. However, what they lack in space (capacity of 9) they make up for in design. A Treehouse at Saratoga is a relative bargain if you only need to sleep 9.
Resort
Capacity
Sq Feet
Baths
Beds
Other Sleeping Surfaces
Walt Disney World
Bay Lake Tower
12
2044
4
1 king, 4 queen
sleeper sofa – 2 queen
Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo
12
2201
3 full, 1 half
1 king, 4 queen
sleeper sofa – queen
Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani
12
2349
4
1 king, 4 queen
sleeper sofa – queen
Boardwalk Villas
12
2142
3
1 king, 4 queen
sleeper sofa – queen
Grand Floridian Villas
12
2800
4
1 king, 4 queen
sleeper sofa – queen
Old Key West
12
2375
3
1 king, 2 queen, 2 full
sleeper sofa – queen
Saratoga Springs
12
2113
4
1 king, 4 queen
sleeper sofa – queen
Treehouses
9
1074
2
2 queen, 1 full bunk
sleeper sofa – queen, sleeper chair – twin
Disneyland
Grand Californian Villas
12
2426
1 king, 4 queen
sleeper sofa – queen, sleeper sofa – full
Other
Aulani
12
2174
3 Full
1 king, 4 queen
sleeper sofa – queen, sleeper chair – twin
Hilton Head Resort
12
2363
3 full, 1 half
1 king, 4 queen
sleeper sofa – queen
Vero Beach Resort
12
2128
3
1 king, 4 queen
sleeper sofa – queen
What’s your favorite DVC room type? How do you choose which type you stay in - space or cost? Did you learn anything surprising looking at everything at once? Talk about it in the comments.
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May 26, 2014
SATURDAY SIX Special Edition: A Theme Park Tribute to America
By Derek Burgan
This week’s SATURDAY SIX for Memorial Day is a very special one. A Theme Park Tribute to America. It is thanks to our brave members of the military, both past and present, for the great country we live in and the freedom we have to visit some of the world’s greatest theme parks. Today we’re going into the Orlando parks and looking some of the tributes to America and its soldiers.
# 6 – Spirit of America Fife & Drum corps (Epcot)
Spirit of America Fife and Drum Corps (photo by Brandon Glover)
Who knows where we would be today without the soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War and the Spirit of America Fife & Drum Corps perform a patriotic tribute to them in front of the American Adventure pavilion in Epcot. With marching music and military formations, the Fife & Drum corps evoke the spirit of the Continental Army. Whether it’s “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “God Bless America,” or “Grand Old Flag,” the four man band (plus a flag bearer) will have your heart pounding in pride.
Spirt of America Fife & Drum corps (photo by Brandon Glover)
# 5 – Captain America (Islands of Adventure)
Captain America (photo by Brandon Glover)
America’s super soldier, Captain America meets guests daily at Marvel Superhero Island. The origin of Captain America himself is tied to World War II and – in the pages of comic books – was fighting the Nazi army in Europe months before America itself officially entered the war in December of 1941. Draped in the red, white, and blue, Cap is the living embodiment of everything many of us strive to be: courageous, loyal, selfless, and unshakably honest.
Captain America Diner (photo by Brandon Glover)
We also recommend getting a slice of apple pie (does it get any more American than that?) at the nearby Captain America Diner. With a gorgeous view of the park, this often overlooked counter service venue also contains a large amount of artwork dedicated to the Avengers.
# 4 – Shades of Green (Walt Disney World)
While we all have our favorite Walt Disney World resort, only one - Shades of Green - is dedicated for use solely by men and women of the military. Owned and operated by the U.S. Armed Forces, Shades of Green is located near Disney’s Polynesian Resort and offers almost all of the amenities of Disney’s other on-site hotels, including access to Extra Magic Hours. The resort offers a total of 586 rooms, including 11 suites, and charges room rates based on military rank. The resort is extremely popular, often running at 100% capacity.
Shades of Green Mill Pond Pool
# 3 – The American Adventure (Epcot)
The American Adventure (photo by Mike Sperduto)
The American Adventure is a walk-through American history narrated by audio-animatronic versions of Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain, two of our country’s most iconic figures. The Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World War II are briefly touched on as over 200 years of America are condensed into about 20 minutes. Using a combination of animatronic scenes and video, the American Adventure is amazing to watch just from a technical perspective. This is Imagineering bringing its A-game, brilliantly taking advantage of limited space and challenging subject matter and presenting it in a uniquely interesting way.
# 2 – Hall of Presidents (Magic Kingdom)
The Hall of Presidents (photo by Brandon Glover)
The Hall of Presidents (photo by Brandon Glover)
Located in Liberty Square, the Hall of Presidents is one of the most profound and moving experiences to be had within a theme park attraction. The animatronics of our 44 Commanders-in-Chief are among the best Walt Disney Imagineering has ever done and the speeches given (by George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Barack Obama) transcend the usual whitewashing of history we see in many other theme park shows or attractions that try to teach us something. With narration by Morgan Freeman, the Hall of Presidents guides us through the forming of the Constitution, the issues behind the Civil War, all the way up to the challenges we face today. The reveal of the presidents themselves on stage is remarkable and you owe it to yourself to see Abraham Lincoln read his Gettysburg Address.
# 1 – Flag Retreat (Magic Kingdom)
Magic Kingdom’s Flag Retreat (photo by Morgan Crutchfield)
Here’s something many theme park fans don’t know. Each day at 5:00PM there is a Flag Retreat at the Magic Kingdom. The Dapper Dans, Main Street Philharmonic, and Disney Security Color Guard are on hand for the lowering of the American Flag, which is then presented to a U.S. Veteran. The pledge of Allegiance, National Anthem, America the Beautiful, God Bless America and more are played during this incredible and heart-warming ceremony. Flag retreat is a truly fitting experience for Main Street, U.S.A., and is something every guest should see at least once.
So there you have it: our Theme Park Tribute to America. See you next weekend for the latest edition of the Saturday Six, where we are grab our sunscreen and pit helmets and join the crew from Radio Harambe taking a look at Six Reasons Animal Kingdom Isn’t a Half Day Park. 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 Disney Blogger Extraordinaire Morgan Crutchfield, Mike Sperduto, and crack staff photographer Brandon Glover for their assistance with this article.
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