Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1226

May 26, 2014

Heading to Orlando? Pop on over to the Kissimmee Popcorn Company

Fair warning: if you don’t have a trip to Orlando planned soon you might want to postpone reading this one. If you continue on I can’t be held responsible for any airfare booked as a result! You’ve been warned.

Many of you have probably seen me dropping into articles here and there that I’m maniacally planning a trip to Tokyo Disneyland Resort later this year. Apparently, I’ve been talking about it a little too much at home, too. Earlier this week my hubby came home and announced he had a surprise for me. We piled into the car and just a short while later arrived at the Kissimmee Popcorn Company. For anyone who is confused, Tokyo Disney is known for exotic popcorn flavors sold around the parks. Some of the oddest include: curry, strawberry, soy sauce, and milk tea! I didn’t find any milk tea popcorn, but I did find something really special. And just like all good things – I couldn’t wait to share it with you guys!

While the Kissimmee Popcorn Company doesn’t have many of the distinctly Japanese flavors I was hoping for, it does host 120 flavors daily! I’m not going to list them all out here, but I can tell you there’s something for everyone, with options that range from savory to sweet and normal to the bizarre! The gals working were completely amazing and let us sample tons of flavors before we decided on a few bags to take home. (They do work for tips, so take care of them!) Even though we just found the place, it has been in business since 1986. That alone tells you this popcorn shop must be doing something right!

If the popcorn looks familiar, that might be because it sells some of its more generic flavors to Disney. However, from experience I can tell you that taking a trip to this store will mean much fresher taste and a huge variety. It’s also much more affordable to shop here. A bag comparable in size to the pre-packaged Disney stuff is about half the price. However, there is a variety of sizes. A “small” is about the size of a large bucket of popcorn at the movies. I asked to see the largest size, and it was literally a trash bag!

So what flavors did we end up taking home? Coconut curry and strawberry were easy choices because they were close to flavors I’m excited to try in Japan. The wildcard was cookies and cream, which my hubby fell in love with. My favorite of the bunch was coconut curry; it didn’t survive the night in my house! The other two were equally good, but both were very sweet. If you’d like to make sure your favorite flavor is available when you plan to visit, be sure to call 407-390-9949 at least 24 hours in advance.

Kissimmee Popcorn Company is also in a great location, right in the middle of the action at Old Town. While I wouldn’t skip any time at the parks to hang out here, it isn’t a bad spot if you have a down day. There are lots of unique shops that I enjoy visiting, and it’s a very short drive away from Disney World. If you’re just interested in visiting for popcorn, then I recommend turning on Holiday Trail from 192. Just up on your left, you’ll see a small playground. Take the next left, and you’ll see the big, pink Kissimmee Popcorn Company building. There’s a small parking lot right there that almost always has open spots. From there you just need to walk to the front of the building for all this freshly popped goodness! The store is open from 10am – 10pm daily. Limited options are available for online ordering, but the shipping is pretty steep. Personally, I’d rather save that shipping money for gas or cab fare when visiting the area.

So will you be making a popcorn run on your next trip? I have to say – I’m not normally a big popcorn fan, but this place has changed all that! It’s totally worth stopping by next time you’re in town. What is the strangest flavor of popcorn you’ve ever tried? Please let us know in the comments below and as always thanks for reading!

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Published on May 26, 2014 03:00

May 25, 2014

Spice Up Your Trip with Disney World Challenges

By Erin Foster

During your first several visits to Walt Disney World, you’re likely to be fully consumed with logistics and checklists. How do I get from my hotel to the Magic Kingdom? Did little Susie get to meet Mickey? Where did I park the stroller? But once you’ve gotten a few trips under your belt, you may be ready to spice things up by adding some Challenge activities to your vacation.

Try to meet as many characters as possible in a single day.

What’s a Challenge?

A challenge is really anything you construct to make part of your trip into a game, quest, contest, or hunt. Some well-known challenges include:

Hunting for Hidden Mickeys. Popularized by Hidden Mickey Guy Steve Barrett, hunting for Hidden Mickeys involves scanning attraction and resort decor for camouflaged illustrations of Mickey Mouse’s head. See how many you can spot in a designated location.
Drink (or Eat) Around the World. Consume a particular food or beverage item in each of Epcot’s 11 World Showcase countries. The classic version involves ingesting an alcoholic beverage in each country. But there are snack versions (famously, the WDW Today Sip & Snack trip in which TouringPlans’ fearless leader Len Testa chugged a bottle of Canadian maple syrup) and candy versions as well.
Pin or Vinylmation trading. Purchase and trade to collect all of a particular series, or focus your search on finding all depictions of a particular character, film, resort, or attraction.
Ultimate Touring Plans. Virtually compete with other guests to see who can do the most theme park attractions in the least amount of time. Requires stamina, speed, and a strong bladder.

Why Would I Undertake a Challenge?

See how many things you can find to do in the parks without going on a ride.

Adding a Challenge to your vacation is somewhat like adding a theme to your birthday party. It’s a way to bring everything into focus, giving you a plan or structure for your time.

Challenges can be unifying tools for a group. For example, your kids might naturally snipe at each other if left to their own devices, but give them a mission to complete together and they’ll be more likely to act as a team rather than adversaries.

Frequent Disney visitors may find that Challenges are a way to differentiate one trip from another. Instead of a fuzzy picture of “that trip where we went on Soarin’ again,” you’ll have a crystal clear memory of “that trip where we had chocolate in every country and had an insane sugar rush when we rode Soarin’”.

Plus, they’re really pretty fun.

Challenge Ideas

As quest to visit all the Kidcot Fun Stops can add a Challenge element to a Disney visit.

Once you’re familiar with the basics of Disney parks planning, there are zillions of ways to spice up your trip by adding a Challenge element. With a few minutes of brainstorming, here are some I’ve come up with:

Count/list the number of Disney/Pixar films you can find represented in the parks. Don’t just look at the obvious (Lilo & Stitch is represented by Stitch’s Great Escape), but examine decor and merchandise for other references. To get you started, here’s a list of just some of the films depicted in the parks.
Count/list the number of different songs played in the parks.
Count/list the number of guests wearing inappropriate footwear (stilettos, Uggs, etc.). Please be discrete.
Take a photo wearing a different representative hat in each Epcot country. Beret, sombrero, fez ….
Take a photo with as many different styles of Mickey ears as you can find. Are there one dozen, two dozen, three dozen? More?
Take a photo of as many different signage fonts as possible.
Take a photo of as many different cast member costumes as possible.
Like the road trip license plate game, try to find cast members wearing name tags mentioning all 50 states and as many countries as possible. Take photos.
See how many times in a row you can experience a single ride. It helps to visit during a low-crowd time and to find a sympathetic cast member. My personal record is seven consecutive trips on Goofy’s Barnstormer without getting off. Bonus points if you can manage to do this on the Teacups, Mission Space, or any other spinning attraction.
See how many characters you can meet in a single day at Walt Disney World. (Park hopping is allowed.)
See how many differently costumed Mickeys you can meet in a single day.
See how many 15-Minutes-of-Fame experiences you can have in a single Disney trip.
The fabulous folks over at Disney Food Blog have developed dozens of food-related Challenges. Search there for “crawl” or “challenge” and you’ll find themed hunts for, among other things, cupcakes, waffles, gingerbread-flavored items, milkshakes, and my favorite: Mickey-shaped items.
See how many different languages you can hear spoken in a single day.
See how many FastPass+ reservations you can use in a single day.
See how may different things you can find to do in a park without going on a ride.
Do all the theme park interactive games in a single day (Agent P’s Adventure, Pirate Adventure, Wilderness Explorers, etc.). Bonus points if you complete multiple versions of each game.
Find the lowest and highest priced souvenir in each park.
Find the lowest and highest priced food item in each park.
Get a stamp from the Kidcot Fun Stop in each Epcot country.
Find the most regionally stereotypical souvenir item in each World Showcase country. (Is an Eiffel Tower statue or a bottle of wine more representative of France?) Family members present their rationales and vote on the winner.
Try to ride as many different forms of transportation as possible in a single day: bus, boat, monorail, train, tram, etc.
Play “Spot the Letter.” Again like a road trip car game, find signs in the parks depicting each letter of the alphabet. You can also try this with numbers – find signs in the parks with progressively larger numbers depicted.
Count/list the different types of animals depicted in a theme park. (Rabbit is a rabbit, Pooh is a bear, Eeyore is a donkey, Tigger is a tiger, Piglet is a pig, Mickey is a Mouse, Donald is a duck ….). Bonus points for doing this with real animals at the Animal Kingdom.
Experience Spaceship Earth using each of the different language tracks.
Try to uncover all the possible alternative futures on Spaceship Earth. Film with your phone for proof.
Make a pressed penny at every possible penny machine.
Count all the times the cast members you encounter say a particular word or phrase. “Magical,” “How Many,” and “Princess” are good starters.
Aggregate the results on the attractions with scoring (Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story, Test Track, etc.) to find the family’s “Master of Disney.”
Complete all the attractions of a particular type in a single day. For example, go on all the roller coasters, view all the 3D movies, watch all the live performance shows, etc. Park hopping is a must.
Play “bus roulette” to see how many Disney resorts you can visit in a single day using only Disney’s free transportation.

Multi-Trip Challenges

Some guests make it their Challenge to stay in all the Disney World resort hotel.

In addition to single-visit challenges, hard core Disney World fans will have likely set some personal challenges that take several (or more than several) trips to accomplish.

These might include:

Staying at all the resorts in a particular location or price category.
Staying at ALL the resorts. (The only one I have left is Fort Wilderness!)
Eating at all the restaurants in a particular theme park, eating at all the character meals, eating at all the signature dining restaurants, or eating at ALL the restaurants at Walt Disney World.
Participating in a particular combination of runDisney events. Coast-to-Coast Challenge anyone?
Taking all of the backstage tours.
Collect all the colors of MagicBands.
Visiting all the Disney theme parks in the U.S.
Visiting all the Disney theme parks in the world.

What Can YOU Come Up With?

My family has done a few of the Challenges mentioned above, and we’ve got several more on our to-do list for our next big Disney trip this summer. We’ve found them to be a real hoot.

I’m curious about whether other families regularly make challenges a part of their Disney vacation. Do you use them for fun? Or to shake up a routine? Do you all work together to complete a task? Or do you create teams within your party and actually compete against each other? Is this something you find appealing? Or just plain weird?

We’d love your thoughts on Disney Challenge games. And we’d like to hear your ideas for Challenges that other guests might enjoy. Let us know in the comments below!

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Published on May 25, 2014 03:00

May 24, 2014

SATURDAY SIX: Top Six Roller Coasters in Orlando

By Derek Burgan

This week’s SATURDAY SIX covers the Top Six Roller Coasters in Orlando. We here at the Saturday Six offices have been looking forward to the grand opening of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for a while and one of the side effects of that anticipation has been having roller coasters on our brain. Luckily we are blessed with a lot of fantastic coasters in Orlando. But which ones are the very best? Today we are going to find out…

# 6 – Dragon Challenge (Islands of Adventure)

Dragon Challenge (photo by Mike Sperduto)

Dragon Challenge in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter squeaked by over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster to take the # 6 spot. In its former incarnation as Dueling Dragons, this coaster had the unique experience of two trains leaving at the exact same time and at several points of the ride come oh-so-close to touching each other. Unfortunately the trains are now staggered, so while they don’t offer that exhilarating rush of coming near each other, they offer two exciting – and different – experiences. The Chinese Fireball (red side) has got faster speed and a bigger drop while the Hungarian Horntail (blue side) has a zero-gravity roll, cobra roll, and plenty more inversions to put a smile on your face. Waiting for front row on both is highly recommended.

What is interesting about Dragon Challenge is that it is the only ride on this list that may not be around in five years. When the ride was Dueling Dragons it commanded one of the longest waits in Islands of Adventure, but since the make-over to Dragon Challenge, it is often a walk on or has a minimal wait. Why? Because Dueling Dragon’s queue is contained within a large medieval castle. Now this castle looks spectacular, but unfortunately it is just a couple steps away from THE best looking castle in Florida, Hogwarts (sorry Cinderella, but it’s true.) You do not want another castle nearby taking away from the majestic look of Hogwarts, so the Dragon Challenge castle is pretty much hidden from sight. The coaster and queue have a huge footprint, space that could be used to build another Potter-themed area which would help spread guests out better. We can’t think of another E-Ticket attraction in the history of theme parks that went from a headliner to a walk-on overnight, so the days of Dragon Challenge (which doesn’t even have a gift shop) may be numbered.

# 5 – Manta (Sea World)

Manta (photo by Mike Sperduto)

Manta (photo by Maureen Deal)

While Disney and Universal are loaded with great coasters, you can’t overlook SeaWorld who have brought two incredible rides to Orlando in the form of Krakken and Manta. While Krakken’s floorless ride system and big drop score major points with us, the theming and overall experience of Manta push that coaster into the league of where the Big Boys play. The queue of Manta is fantastic, an air-conditioned walk throughout an elaborately designed aquarium with plenty of fish and stingrays to look at. The ride itself has the rider in a unique position where after loading your seat positions itself so you are facing the ground. While this position is to simulate riding under a stingray as it swims the ocean, it feels more like you are flying like Superman through the sky and is wonderfully unique experience.

There is also a separate aquarium connected to Manta which you can check out after riding (or for those who don’t want to ride Manta at all). Highlights of this walk-through attraction include the incredible looking sea dragons and the pop-up sections of the tank that give you a 360 degree look at the aquarium. Not to be missed.

# 4 – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Magic Kingdom)

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (photo by Mike Sperduto)

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (photo by Brandon Glover)

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad shows exactly what Walt Disney Imagineering can do with an original idea. An exciting “runaway mine train” coaster that is gorgeous just to look at, let alone ride. The theming across the board on Big Thunder is incredible and almost unbelievable when you consider the ride made its debut in 1979, a full 20 years before any other ride on this list. Thrilling and filled with humor, Big Thunder is perfect for guests who look at rides like Dragon Challenge or regular coasters and think, “no way am I getting on that!”

After riding Big Thunder, take a ride on the Walt Disney World Railroad, which passes by the back of the attraction and allows you to get a better view of the story elements you are whizzing past in your mine car.

# 3 – Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)

Expedition Everest (photo by Mike Sperduto)

Expedition Everest (photo by Mike Sperduto)

What WDI showed they could do in 1979 with Big Thunder, they perfected in 2007 with Expedition Everest. There is simply not a better looking coaster in the world. The queue is flawless and brilliantly sets up the story of searching for the Yeti in the Himalayas. There are no loops, inversions, or gigantic drops in the ride, but there is plenty of excitement and a great section that has the ride going backwards. It’s impossible to mention Expedition Everest without bringing up the 500 pound gorilla in the room, the Yeti animatronic itself. Billed as one of the biggest and most impressive animatronics ever made, few guests actually got to see the Yeti work as it was intended. As we wrote earlier this year in the article Six Things We Wish Theme Park Guests Would Stop Complaining About, the half a second you spend speeding past a Yeti that doesn’t move doesn’t take away from all the things which Everest nails perfectly.

Hands down the most picturesque attraction (and surrounding area) in any Disney park, Everest is both Beauty and the Beast as it also makes a case for being WDW’s most thrilling attraction.

# 2 – Revenge of the Mummy (Universal Studios Florida)

Revenge of the Mummy (photo by Brandon Glover)

When you replace beloved attractions, the new rides better be good. Part of the reason guests still fondly reminisce over WDW attractions such as Horizons and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is because their replacements (Mission: SPACE and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, respectively) don’t have the “it factor” and are just very good rides, if not a little bland. Kongfrontation was an opening day attraction at Universal Studios Florida in 1990, and one that many people loved. The fans were ready to riot when a ride based on a Brendan Fraser movie kicked out one of the park’s icons, King Kong. But something funny happened, Revenge of the Mummy was good.

Actually, not just good, great.

Revenge of the Mummy’s facade is a far cry from the majestic look of Expedition Everest, but inside those doors is a ride you will not soon forget. The Mummy coaster features dark ride elements, special effects, an unbelievable amount of fire, and an exciting indoor coaster track that will make you want to jump right back on the ride once you reach the unload area. Space Mountain showed us years earlier that putting a coaster in the dark makes it seem to go much faster than it really is and Mummy throws in tight turns and steep drops to get your heart racing.

# 1 – The Incredible Hulk Coaster (Islands of Adventure)

The Incredible Hulk Coaster (photo by Brandon Glover)

The Incredible Hulk Coaster (photo by Jeff Kyle)

One of my favorite things to do when going to Islands of Adventure with friends and family who have never been is to quickly take them over to the Incredible Hulk Coaster, wait for front row, and don’t let them know what they are about to experience. The launch of the Hulk coaster is hands down one of greatest experiences in Orlando and the ride that follows it is no slouch either. Zero-G roll, cobra roll, loops, drops and a corkscrew are part of this unforgettable experience.

The Incredible Hulk Coaster (photo by Brandon Glover)

Guests see and hear the Hulk Coaster from a great distance, but up close there are several incredible viewing spots where the riders seem to come right at you. The Hulk is not a perfect ride by any means. It doesn’t have the theming of Everest. It doesn’t have the story of Mummy. It doesn’t have an amazing queue like Manta. But what it does have is the best coaster experience in Orlando.

HONORABLE MENTION: Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (photo by Mike Sperduto)

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit

For all its faults, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit brings a lot of incredible features to the table. One, you get to listen to music throughout the experience, and unlike Rock ‘n’ Roller coaster at DHS, you get to pick what song you wan to play (my personal favorites are “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys and – don’t judge – “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence.) The 90 degree lift hill straight up to start the ride is breathtaking and then the excitement begins. Just as the Hogwarts Express will be the first attraction to go from park to park, Rip Ride Rockit is the first coaster to go through several “lands” in one park and even through attractions themselves. Rip Ride Rockit has many detractors, but we at the Saturday Six love every second of it.

Ol’ Banana Breath himself…

So there you have it: the Top Six Roller Coasters in Orlando. See you next weekend for the latest edition of the Saturday Six, where we are going to sing the Heigh Ho rap as we look at the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. We may even have a surprise for all you patriotic readers as well on Memorial Day, so keep your eyes fixed on the blog. 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, Jeff Kyle, and crack staff photographer Brandon Glover for their assistance with this article.

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Published on May 24, 2014 08:30

May 23, 2014

In Case You Missed It: Disney News and Rumors – Week of May 23, 2014

By Rikki Niblett

New “Cars” Inspired Junior Ride-Along at Richard Petty Driving Experience

By Rikki Niblett

On the track at the Richard Petty Driving Experience

Two brand new, full-sized custom character cars from the hit movie, Cars, will be debuting at the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Walt Disney World, beginning on Saturday, June 14. They will include famous Piston Cup racers; the #28 car, Aiken Axler, and the #80 car, Sage VanDerSpin. These new cars will be used in the all new Piston Cup Junior Ride-Along Program.

Children ages 6-13, who are at least 48 inches tall, will be able to experience the thrill as they ride shotgun with a professional driving instructor for three thrilling laps.

These two Piston Cup challengers have a storied history. Sage VanDerSpin (#80) races for Team “Gask-its” and is the youngest winner of the Junior Piston Cup Pro Series. Aiken Axler (#28) is the racer for Nitroade and he captured the Vitoline Rookie of the Year honors in his first full season of Cup competition. Both competitors will be sporting their team colors, as well as sponsors. In addition, their larger-than-life personalities will be brought to life, thanks to a specialty window wrap.

According to Chris Kirby, Petty Holdings Director of Marketing, “The window wrap makes it possible to see the character eyes from the exterior, which really brings them to life, but doesn’t interfere with the view of the track. Once passengers are inside the car, the track can be clearly seen so they can fully enjoy the experience of racing around the track.”

The cost of this experience will be $59 and the experience takes place on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are not accepted.

Find out more information about the Richard Petty Driving Experience’s Junior Ride-Along program here.

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Published on May 23, 2014 11:39

24 Hr Rock Your Disney Side: A Magical Morning

By Daisy Lauren

Were you ready to Rock Your Disney Side this morning but couldn’t make it to Walt Disney World? I decided to head to the park for opening to make you feel like you were there. Forgive me if this is a little shorter than normal but I’m editing photos quickly to get this to you as soon as possible. Not to mention someone needs quite a long nap so I can Rock My Disney Side all night too!

If you can believe it my alarm went off at 3:45am this morning! The plan was to leave by 4:45am to arrive just a little after 5am. Of course, we ran late but ended up at the monorail by 5:20am. As you can see we reached the Magic Kingdom station just a little after 5:30am.

Unlike last year bag check was a zoo. I thought it was much more crowded! I was about to hand my camera bag off to my hubby and run through the no bags line to make sure I was able to get video for you guys, but they opened more bags check stations just before I dashed. Phew!

I settled into a “good” spot but as soon as the announcement came on that the show was starting the crowd shuffled around and I ended up behind tall guys. I could have held my camera over my head…. but I hate to be that person. The good news is the show was just the normal opening show with heros and villains riding in on the train. So not much missed. Here’s the video anyway – in case anyone wants to see. (Also, it’s been a while since I’ve bragged about the Touring Plans Channel. You should really go subscribe!!)

Here is what it looks like on Main Street at 6am! The glow from the lights are just amazing! Or maybe it was just the energy in the crowd. Everyone was so excited to be there this morning. (Including me!)

And here is the proof of our early morning. It looks like about 6:04am on that clock to me!

Next stop was, of course, the castle to get some beautiful sunrise photos. Look at the pink in that sky! This was taken from the bridge in Liberty Square where there were literally a dozen tripods that other guests had setup. I was in good company!

The sun hadn’t quite made it over the top of the back side of the castle but rather than waiting I had something very important I wanted to go check on. Can you guess what it was? I’ll give you a hint in the next photo.

Can you guess? I bet you can guess… :)

That’s right! As we rounded the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel I saw a long line poking out from the castle walls. My hubby kept walking but I grabbed him and got in that long line. I knew it had to be for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train!! The line was very steady moving and before I knew it we were walking under a sign that showed the wait for this brand new ride was 30 minutes. However, I clocked it at a less than 20 minute wait. I couldn’t believe we were getting to ride it for the first time!

So what did I think? Well, we all know I’m a ride chicken. With that said the second drop when leaving the mine is about my maximum comfortable drop. I felt a little woozy afterwards but I would ride again. I just don’t think I could do back to back rides. And the animatronics were as good as everyone has said! Loved this experience!

After the ride I stumbled back to the front of the castle for more photos of the golden sun just starting to hit the top spires. I hope my photo does it justice! The orange light was so pretty.

After quite a photo session I decided to check back on our new favorite ride, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Of course, the wait time had ballooned up. We heard it even made it up to 180 minutes a little later. But when we left it had leveled off to 60 minutes wait.

It seems like meeting the Frozen gals will continue to be the longest line in the park. The line was long first thing this morning and just never slowed down. I can’t imagine waiting in that!

As we walked on I couldn’t resist a shot of Prince Charming Regal Carrousel with the rising sun just making its way there. All the wait times in Fantasyland were walk on with the exception of Mine Train, Meeting Elsa and Anna, and Peter Pan’s Flight. Peter Pan was only a 15 minute wait up until the time we left. That gives you an idea of how slow of a morning it was. Everyone was crowded in the entry plaza for opening but there weren’t many more guests coming into the park.

I also took advantage of the sunrise on Beast’s Castle. Be Our Guest wasn’t serving until 10:30am which seemed very far away for someone that had breakfast at 4am!

All around Seven Dwarfs Mine Train there were media stationed filming everything. This was just one group that was setup. Kinda strange to see them all camped out… but hey, it was weird to see Enchanted Tales with Belle only have a 15 minute wait too!

We hung over the side walls and took more photos of the new coaster since that seemed like the cool thing to do. Just behind where this was taken there was a cast member in a cherry picker taking photos. They weren’t messing around documenting the first day of operation!

After this we were officially tired of watching Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and I’d booked a 7:35am Fastpass+ for Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid. It ends up we didn’t need the fastpass as there was still no line at all. We were able to ride as fast as our feet could get us there! I changed our fastpass for late tonight as I’m sure the crowds will make them needed.

Next we decided to try our luck on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Again we were able to walk right on.

As we exited I checked the My Magic Experience app and saw just about everything in the park was walk on. We decided to head back to the front of the park to see if anything special was happening for the event. On our way we saw lots of people in cute costumes. They were all dashing off somewhere so I hated to slow them down asking for a photo. But if you ever plan to come to something like this and you’re not sure if you should dress up – You Should!! You’ll fit right in.

On our way I passed the same clock again and almost exactly two hours had passed. The sun was bright in the sky and temperatures were starting to rise.

We stopped in the Emporium to see if any merchandise was left and were shocked to find tons of stuff available with no line! T-Shirts were available in sizes Small to 3XL for $27.95. Event ears were $20.99 and weird glow sticks were $7.00. I thought about the ears but they were overpriced for what they are. Of course, I may always break down and get them tonight! Or at the outlet when they make their way there.

After shopping we decided that nothing special was happening for another few hours so it was a good time to cut out for a nice, long nap. Just as we were leaving a cast member gave us Maleficent buttons. It makes much more sense to get these on the way out! It was so hard getting a Monstrous Summer pin on the way in last year. I like it much better grabbing them just before you leave.

So that is how we started our 24 Hour Rock Your Disney Side day. I hope you enjoyed sharing the morning with us. What would you do if you were there at 6am? What about 6pm? Or 2am!? Heros or Villains? Let us know in the comments below. As always thanks for reading!

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Published on May 23, 2014 10:02

Be Our Guest: Prices Up Across the Dinner Menu at the Magic Kingdom’s Newest Restaurant

By Morgan Crutchfield

The Be Our Guest Entrance

One of the things we do best here at TouringPlans.com is help you get the best value for your vacation dollar by providing you with all kinds of data about Walt Disney World and helping you make sense of it. Recently, while doing accuracy checks on the Be Our Guest menus, we noticed that the prices on various items at dinner had climbed, some significantly, since April.

Three appetizers, the popular (and excellent) Potato Leek Soup as well as the Garden Salad and Salad Trio, have seen increases of fifty cents per dish. In the entrees category, nearly every entree on the menu increased in price by at least fifty cents, with some like the Pan-Seared Salmon and Sauteed Shrimp and Scallops getting price hikes of a dollar per dish. Additionally, every beer that Be Our Guest offers increased in price by twenty-five cents per serving, with Chimay Blue going up seventy-five cents. The desserts have also gone up a dollar each, and while this change may have actually occurred before the others, it has been fairly recent as well.

While fifty cents here or there isn’t such a big deal, if you look at a meal we ate in February with a group of four, you can see a huge impact on what our meal cost would be now. Three of the four in our party had the Shrimp and Scallops, which adds $3.00 to the overall total. The other adult had the Salmon, adding $1.00 more. Three of the adults drank beer, adding another $2.25. Two bowls of Potato Leek Soup were eaten which would now cost $1.00 more than it did that night. Finally, all four of us got dessert (look, we’d just run 13 miles, okay?) which tacks on another $4.00 to the total we would pay if we had the same meal today. In all, the price of our meal for four adults has increased $11.25 in less than two months’ time. We could have added a kid to our party, had another round of dessert for a few of us, or tossed back a couple more drinks for that, especially given the increase in tip this requires at the end of the meal.

While these increases make sense in light of the Disney Dining Plan price increases, they may not make sense to your party’s budget. Be sure to check out the full Be Our Guest menu before you dine there, and be prepared rather than surprised.

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Be Our Guest: Prices Up Across the Dinner Menu at the Magic Kingdom’s Newest Restaurant is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

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Published on May 23, 2014 08:30

Observations from the Magic Kingdom: Saturday, May 17, 2014

By Morgan Crutchfield

Crowd level: 6/10

Weather: High 81, Low 77, Sunny. *Note: The sunburn I received says it felt a lot hotter than 81.

We took a trip to the Magic Kingdom on Saturday to check on the progress of things and, because the weather was incredible, photograph the Festival of Fantasy Parade. The Magic Kingdom has been a bit difficult for me lately with all the walls and cranes and tarps, but things are getting better. First things first? The giant memories sign has been taken out of the front flower bed and the train station looks pretty fantastic.

Magic Kingdom Entrance, fresh without the gaudy signage.

Despite the ride wait times putting the crowd level at a 6/10, I don’t think the park “felt like” a 6 at all. Main Street, U.S.A. was easily traveled and I’m happy to report that all cranes are down and painting is done at Cinderella Castle. It looks beautiful as is expected.

Main Street, U.S.A. with a freshly painted Cinderella Castle

As a quick little merchandise update, pants seem to be a new trend at the Magic Kingdom. First we got the Mickey Pants mini kitchen sink which, by the way, has been reduced in price to a somewhat reasonable $14.99) and now we have pants everywhere.

Pants mugs and “toothpick holders”.

Also fairly new on the Walt Disney World merchandise scene is Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who is popping up in the parks here and there in various formats like this Big Fig seen in the Main Street Cinema Art of Disney.

Toward the hub, work continues behind the omnipresent green lattice walls. The walls themselves now have signage and lamps attached, so it seems like they’ll be around for a while.

Behind the walls, the space surrounding the moat on the Plaza restaurant side is still a pretty big mess.

Closer to Cosmic Ray’s though (past those big temporary dams), things look pretty nice.

We took a quick trip to the Space Mountain arcade to get an answer to a question that was asked about the new cell phone charging lockers being tested there and at Cosmic Ray’s. The touch screen on the lockers asks you to swipe a credit card to open the locker, even though the system doesn’t actually charge you money. Several of you wanted to know if you were required to use a credit card or if other media with a swipe stripe could be substituted. While our Annual Pass did not work, a Disney gift card did open the locker.

From Tomorrowland I walked into New Fantasyland where the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has been running tests with Cast Members riding. First, a look at a couple of parts of the queue. Notice the fans. There are fans about every 20 feet in the line because most of the line will be in direct sunlight for much of the day. With temperatures already beginning to creep into the 90′s here next week, I’m predicting that this is going to be an incredibly hot line to wait in and I’m going to suggest bringing a small umbrella if you’re going to try the standby line.

And a few photos from the “big drop” on the track as well as a couple of the larger curves. Remember – this ride is not open to regular guests yet (not even in soft open). These are Cast Members riding.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is scheduled to open on May 28 and FastPass+ can now be booked beginning on that date.

From New Fantasyland I walked down the castle side path and into Liberty Square. I like to look in the Christmas Shop and see what kind of new ornaments and decorations have been put out. This time there was some fairly new Haunted Mansion merchandise as well as a pretty large selection of Nightmare Before Christmas.

Around 2:00 I walked to the hub to stake out my spot for Festival of Fantasy. Dream Along with Mickey was playing on the castle forecourt stage and, while I’m not a huge fan of the show itself, it’s always good to see Mickey and the gang in front of the castle.

I’ll leave you with a couple of my favorite shots from Festival of Fantasy. Remember – it’s a new parade so the crowds start filling into the viewing areas early. People are hot and tired and are likely going to say no if you show up with your kids ten minutes before parade time and ask if your kids can move to the front of the crowd. Get a spot early – this parade is totally worth the wait. Until next time, keep it magical.

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Observations from the Magic Kingdom: Saturday, May 17, 2014 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

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Published on May 23, 2014 03:00

May 22, 2014

Search Feature Added to TouringPlans

By Len Testa

We’ve added a site-wide search feature to the TouringPlans website. A search bar should appear somewhere around the upper right corner of every page

The entire site is indexed, so a search for “Peter Pan” will return links to the attraction’s description, wait times, touring plans, FastPass+ tips, relevant blog posts, and more.

We can customize the search results, so let us know in the comments if there’s a particular way you’d like to see the results displayed. Happy searching!

Give it a try right now!

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Published on May 22, 2014 08:30

Kongstruction: Islands of Adventure Project 340 Photo Report

By Seth Kubersky

With construction on the newly expanded Wizarding World of Harry Potter wrapping up, what is next for Universal Orlando after PotterWatch? Though officially unannounced, insider information and permit filings for “Project 340″ provide evidence that an impressive new E-ticket adventure is being installed in Islands of Adventure. The new attraction is expected to be based on King Kong, utilizing technology from the popular King Kong 360-3D attraction found at Universal Studios Hollywood, along with new indoor and outdoor dark ride elements, to reincarnate a beloved icon from Universal Studios Florida‘s earliest days. So consider this the first installment of Kongstruction, our ongoing series tracking the progress on this ambitious new project.

Obviously, Universal has made no official statements about this project, which is rumored to debut in 2015. But the massive earthmoving project currently going on behind Thunder Falls Terrace in Islands of Adventure is already obvious. Please note that all photos were takes from guest-accessible areas, and did not involve tresspassing into restricted areas.