Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1227
May 19, 2014
More Details About Walt Disney World’s “Rock Your Disney Side” 24 Hour Day
Are you ready to show your Disney Side at the “Rock Your Disney Side” 24 Hour Party?
Disney has finally started trickling out the info about this year’s 24 hour event known as “Rock Your Disney Side.” (See Brian’s previous post, which also shared details about what Epcot will be doing to help with guest flow.) The “Rock Your Disney Side” event is scheduled to take place at the Magic Kingdom this Friday, May 23, starting at 6:00 a.m., and it will last until Saturday, May 24, at 6:00 a.m.
The party’s theme encourages guests to support their favorite heroes or villains, so you can bet both sets of Disney characters will be out in full force over the course of the day! Guests are even encouraged to dress as their favorite characters, truly showcasing their Disney Side.
With that being said, here is some additional information about the “Rock Your Disney Side” event at Walt Disney World and what guests can expect to enjoy who at this rockin’ party. A mini schedule of events has been released for the day. What is most interesting is that the morning and early afternoon appear to feature more of a hero theme, and the later afternoon and evening hours seem to showcase the villains.
The party will kick off with a fantastic Welcome Show at 5:50 a.m. on Friday, featuring different Disney heroes and villains.
Guests who enjoy the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It Street Party can experience a 10:00 a.m. heroes celebration. The 1:30 p.m. street party will feature the villains. Then something special will happen during the 5:45 p.m. show, where guests will be able to vote on who will appear in the mini parade. Speaking of parades, there will be two showings of Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade, once at 12:00 p.m. and then again at 3:30 p.m.
Of course you won’t want to miss any of the night time spectaculars! First, there will be two showings of the Main Street Electrical Parade, at 11:00 p.m. and at 1:00 a.m. As previously mentioned, there will be a Disney Villains Pre-Parade, called “It’s Good To Be Bad” Cavalcade, which will take place immediately prior to the Main Street Electrical Parade. Guests can expect to see Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians, the Big Bad Wolf, Stromboli from Pinocchio, and Bowler Hat Guy from Meet the Robinsons. There will also be three showings of the Celebrate the Magic castle projection show, at 8:45 p.m., 9:45 p.m., and 11:45 p.m. Of course, you can’t miss Wishes, which will be shown at 9:00 p.m.
For those who are interested in seeing villainous characters, starting at 11:00 p.m., one side of Princess Fairytale Hall will see some of your favorites: Maleficent and the Evil Queen from Snow White. (It appears that Anna and Elsa will be meeting on the other side, for those wondering/want to see the Frozen sisters.) Then, starting at 1:45 a.m., the villains take over the other character meet and greets, appearing in place of their hero counterparts. (For example, Captain Hook will meet where Peter Pan can normally be found in Fantasyland.)
Th park will showcase two dance parties in the evening. The first is the Frontierland Dance Party, and the second will be the “Up All Night” Dance Party located in front of Cinderella Castle. Both are scheduled from 2:00 a.m. – 5:45 a.m. Also, there will be an all-night showing of The Incredibles at the RocketTower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland from 11:00 p.m. – 5:00 a.m.
For those looking for special treats during the event, Disney will, of course, have you covered. Here’s what guests can expect to try and where:
Sleepy Hollow (Liberty Square): Poisoned Apple Waffle Sundae
The Lunching Pad (Tomorrowland): Olaf souvenir cup with specialty beverage
Friar’s Nook (Fantasyland): Olaf souvenir cup with specialty beverage
Gaston’s Tavern (Fantasyland): Princess-themed cupcake
Storybook Treats (Fantasyland): Poisoned Apple Shortcake Sundae
Main Street Bakery (Main Street U.S.A): Maleficent Cupcake, Frozen-themed Cupcake, or an Olaf Carrot Cupcake
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor and Plaza Restaurant: (Main Street U.S.A.): Mickey’s Kitchen Sink Sundae
Various Outdoor Food Kiosks: Pink “heroes” themed cotton candy and blue “villains” themed cotton candy
Finally, to say goodnight to a festive day, a special “Kiss Goodnight” will take place at 5:50 a.m. on Saturday morning at the Town Square Railroad Station.
It sure seems to be one fantastically fun, yet incredibly exhausting day! I’ll make sure to keep you updated with any additional information you may need to know!
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Disney Cruise Line Fall 2015 Intineraries Announced
By Erin Foster
Aloha!
As expected, Disney Cruise Line announced today that it will be returning to Hawaii this fall. The Disney Wonder will make two 10-night sailings in September, circling from Honolulu to Vancouver with stops during each trip in Hilo (Hawaii Island), Nawiliwili (Kauai) and Kahului (Maui).
Mickey’s going Hawaiian again with the Disney Cruise Line.
The Wonder will remain on the West Coast in October 2015, making San Diego, California its home port for the month. Itineraries will include 5-night Baja voyages making stops in Cabo San Luas and Ensenada, Mexico. The Wonder will also make 3-night trips stopping in Ensenda, as well as 2-night “cruise to nowhere” weekend escapes.
Beginning in November 2015, the Wonder will again home port in Galveston, Texas, making 7-night Caribbean holiday trips with stops in Key West, Nassau, and Disney’s private Castaway Cay.
Following a Transatlantic trip from Barcelona to Miami, the Disney Magic will resume a regular routine of four and five night Caribbean and Bahamian voyages.
During Fall 2015, the Disney Fantasy will travel 7-night Caribbean voyages, with four trips which include a stop in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
The Disney Dream will run its standard 3 and 4-night Bahamian trips during most of Fall 2015. There is a gap in the Dream’s schedule during late September and early October. Disney Cruise Line Blog is speculating that this break will provide time for the Dream’s first dry dock.
What are your thoughts on the new cruise itineraries? Will you make Hawaii part of your cruise schedule next year? What do you think about the return to Galveston? Let us know in the comments below.
If you enjoy our DCL content, take a look at our Disney Cruise Line subscription or buy our new book, the Unofficial Guide to the Disney Cruise Line, written by Len Testa, Erin Foster, and Laurel Stewart – available at Amazon.com and on Apple iBooks.
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TouringPlans #Everywhere – I’m Going to Disney World!
By Steve Bloom
Last month it was announced that October 12 is going to be an epic day where the TouringPlans staff is going to cover the globe and be at every Disney property. Our children will be 10 and 12 in October, and doing a trip to the other side of the world was not going to work for us. Our family was assigned Walt Disney World. This will not be out first trip to Disney World; it is not even the first trip for 2014. To make this trip special we are going to be staying and doing activities that we have never experienced before. We have reservations for the Keys to the Kingdom tour, and are staying at multiple 5-star resorts in the Disney area. The family is very excited to be staying deluxe. Typically we (and by this I mean the kids and I; my wife, not so much) are commando travelers: spend most of our time in the parks, and the hotel room is secondary to the vacation. I expect this trip will be different, where we spend a good bit of the time at the resorts and, therefore, I’ll get to see my wife more often.
You will be seeing blog posts from other staff members about their planning and experiences at the Disney properties. Since our website and half the blog post covers this, it will not be a focus for me. Besides contacting MEI-Travel to make our hotel reservations we will be doing very little planning. We will be driving from Atlanta, so airfare and a rental car is not needed. One tip I would put out there to drivers: get a SunPass so you can zip through the Florida road tolls.
With our assignment we are actually splitting up out hotel stays over two trips. Since our kids will be in school in October, we will be staying at the new Four Seasons in September during their fall break. My wife and I will return to Florida in October and stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Floridian, and Waldorf-Astoria. We will write reviews of each of the resorts and see if my wife can convince me that any of these resorts is worth the money. Is the Grand Floridian really 5 times better than Pop Century?
October 12 we will be hosting a meet fitting guests traveling first class. Len Testa has already rejected the Victoria & Albert’s meet-up. Tentatively we are thinking about a champagne toast at Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival.
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Least Crowded Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2014 Dates
Last year I wrote about what we expected to be the least crowded Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. It proved to be a very popular topic, so here I am again to review the information from last year and give you an even better projection for 2014. Make sure you check out our dedicated page for a complete list of dates as well as a thorough description of what the Christmas party is.
In short, if you’re looking for the best 2014 Very Merry Christmas Party to attend, we recommend Monday, November 10, 2014. Last year we recommended Tuesday, December 10, 2013, and it turned out to be the party with the 2nd lowest wait times by our calculation. The equivalent party for last year’s recommendation, Tuesday, December 9, 2014, comes in second on this year’s list.
Since I’m sure you’re wondering how we did with our recommendations last year, the answer is…eh, okay. There were several predictions that we nailed, but we had a few errors that we have fixed for this year’s recommendations. Here are the top 5 from last year’s recommendations:
Party Date
Projected Wait Time Rank
Actual Measured Wait Time Rank
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
1
2
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
2
12
Friday, December 6, 2013
3
18
Friday, November 15, 2013
4
5
Thursday, November 21, 2013
5
4
As you can see, our numbers 1, 4, and 5 performed almost exactly like we thought they would. What we underestimated was the impact of the Thanksgiving break. Since there are no parties during American Thanksgiving week, the first party after the break (December 1 in 2013) is always one of the busier nights. In addition, the opening of New Fantasyland in 2012 skewed many of our 2012 Christmas Party numbers, which is what we based the 2013 rankings on. The new area’s official opening was December 6, 2012, the date of 2012′s busiest Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. We mistakenly thought the crowds we saw during that week were an anomaly created by New Fantasyland. We have not made the same mistake with this year’s predictions.
What we have noticed is that much of the Christmas party crowds can be boiled down to a simple two-step generalization: go either a) on a Tuesday or b) before Thanksgiving (and no, there are no Tuesday parties before Thanksgiving). With the exception of Tuesday, December 9, and Tuesday, December 16, our top 8 parties to attend are all before Thanksgiving.
If you are considering other dates, here are our predicted rankings of attraction wait times at each of the 2014 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties.
[Please note that the military discount ends following the November 20 party, and the Annual Pass and Disney Vacation Club discounts end following the December 9 party, but are also not available for the party on December 7.]
Party Date
Attraction Wait Times Rank
Advance Purchase Price for an Adult Ticket
Notes
Monday, November 10, 2014
Lowest Wait Times
$71.36
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
2
$71.36
Thursday, November 20, 2014
3
$71.36
Sunday, November 16, 2014
4
$71.36
Thursday, November 13, 2014
5
$71.36
Friday, November 14, 2014
6
$71.36
Friday, November 21, 2014
7
$71.36
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
8
$71.36
Thursday, December 11, 2014
9
$75.62
Sold out 1 day in advance in 2013.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
10
$71.36
Thursday, December 4, 2014
11
$71.36
Sold out 1 day in advance in 2013.
Friday, November 7, 2014
12
$71.36
First party of the year. Sold out 6 days in advance in 2013.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
13
$71.36
Sunday, November 30, 2014
14
$75.62
1st Party after Thanksgiving break. Sold out 1 day in advance in 2013
Sunday, December 14, 2014
15
$71.36
Thursday, December 18, 2014
16
$75.62
Friday, December 19, 2014
17
$71.36
Final Party of the year. Sold out 7 days in advance in 2013. Lines for character greetings and parade viewing spots will be long.
Friday, December 5, 2014
18
$75.62
Sold out 1 day in advance in 2013.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Highest Wait Times
$75.62
Sold out 1 day in advance in 2013.
To determine all of the above, we looked at posted wait times from key attractions including Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, it’s a small world, and The Barnstormer. We narrowed it down to times between 7pm and midnight, which is when the park is limited to party guests. Some quick notes about our research:
Our wait times only include attractions−not character meet and greets, special shows, or parades. The characters, in particular, often have long lines, especially for rare characters like the Seven Dwarfs. Regardless of which party you attend, some of the character lines will be long. If those are a must do, do them as early in the evening as possible.
In general the wait times during the Christmas parties are quite low, averaging only about 11 minutes. If there are any attractions that you have really been wanting to do, experiencing them during the Christmas party might just be the time.
Looking for more information? Good, because we have a lot for you. Erin Foster wrote an amazing overview of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party that will help you whether this is your first trip or your 100th (and if it’s your 100th, you might have a problem…being too awesome).
If meeting characters is your main priority, the bossman himself, Len Testa, wrote a fantastic (yes, I’m kissing up) piece about strategy for character meets during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party. If you haven’t decided if the cost is worth it you should read Kristina Murphy’s post about that very subject.
Now that you are armed with the most powerful weapon…knowledge, you can plan your 2014 trip to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This blog post will help you find all of the party dates and prices.
Hopefully this analysis will help you choose the best Christmas Party to attend. Merry Christmas (a little early)!
Thanks!
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Least Crowded Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2014 Dates is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
May 17, 2014
Observations From Disneyland: May 15, 2014
Over the years I’ve noticed that Disneylanders avoid the park if the weather is extremely bad in either direction. Anaheim has great weather for most of the year, but there are the few weeks when it is either cold and rainy or, like today, very hot. Here I caught Snow White walking through the hub, and no one bothered her. No one bothered her because no one was around.
This was the wait time board at 11 AM. Wait times for the past week or so have been a bit higher than usual because so many attractions are down for refurbishment. Today that factor was hardly even noticeable.
More pictures after the jump:
Fast forward to later in the day and wait times were still low when the temperature hit its peak of 103 degrees.
Over in town square on Main Street, U.S.A., the flag was at half staff for Peace Officer Memorial Day.
Also on Main Street, the lockers are currently closed for a construction project going on behind the building. Disney is currently constructing a walkway behind the east side of Main Street that will be used during busy times of the day. This should help with the congestion seen during parades and after fireworks. This leaves Disneyland with no lockers for the time being, so if you need one, be sure to grab one outside and to the left of Disneyland main entrance.
I stopped by Alice in Wonderland and noticed there is some visible progress being made on the exterior portion of the track. You can see the green original part of the track and the new grey section that will extend the track on each side. The ride is scheduled to reopen on July 3, 2014.
Toontown is wrapping up some refurbishment projects on its two fountains and Gadget’s Go Coaster. The walls are down at the two fountains; they look great, but for now the Roger Rabbit statue is missing on the fountain in front of Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin.
Mickey is still on top of the fountain located in front of his house. He’s all polished up and looking good.
That’s it for this week. Be sure to attend our morning breakfast meet if you’re going to be in the parks for the Rock Your Disney Side: 24-Hour event next week. I hope to see you there!
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SATURDAY SIX: Top Six Theme Park Bars in Orlando
By Derek Burgan
This week’s SATURDAY SIX covers the Top Six Theme Park Bars in Orlando. Reading the recent Epcot After Hours Wind Down reviews got the staff of Saturday Six thinking about the best theme park bars in town, so we grabbed our iPad and pulled up the Walt Disney World Bars and Lounges eGuide as a reference, cashed in our 30 day A.A. chips, and hit the parks to make our final judgements. What follows are the very best of your watering hole options inside the theme parks….
# 6 – Duff Gardens (Universal Studios Florida)
Some of the 7 Duffs topiaries in front of Duff Gardens (photo by Brandon Glover)
Duff Gardens is one of the newer entries in the parks, making its debut at Universal Studios Florida in August of 2013. The variety of drinks served here is limited (various Duff beers, coke products, Buzz Cola, and the Flaming Moe) but what Duff Gardens lacks in overall drink options, it makes up for in atmosphere and location. The topiaries of the 7 Duffs (Tipsy, Queasy, Surly, Sleazy, Edgy, Dizzy and Remorseful) are incredible. There is a photo op with Duffman and guests are steps away from the wonderful statue of Jebediah Springfield. There is signage within the bar that has the trademark Simpsons wit while cleverly mocking traditional beer advertisements. There is plenty of seating at the bar and there are even more tables bordering the nearby lagoon. Grabbing a couple tacos from Bumblebee Man’s Taco Truck and a Duff beer on tap from Duff Gardens is one of our favorite theme park meals.
Can’t Get Enough of That Wonderful Duff (photo by Brandon Glover)
# 5 – Dawa Bar (Animal Kingdom)
Dawa Bar (photo by Brian McNichols) (This is actually the old location as the Dawa Bar has relocated to a nearby area in Harambe village)
Coming in June will be a special Saturday Six dedicated to “Six Reasons Animal Kingdom isn’t a Half Day Park” and reason 6A could be the Dawa Bar. A wonderful and relaxing place to have a drink, Dawa Bar offers many authentic beers and wines from Africa along with traditional domestic selections. It’s located in the Africa section of Animal Kingdom, right near Tusker House and it’s ample seating and shade can be the perfect cool down when it seems to be 1000 degrees outside. Our best bets are the Tusker Lager and a Sugar Cane Mojito.
# 4 – Tune-In Lounge (Hollywood Studios)
Tune-In Lounge
What? No Zima? What kind of retro bar is this?!
I think many would agree that Hollywood Studios needs a lot of fixing to be a full day park for most families, but one thing it has right is the Tune-In Lounge. Located next to the popular 50′s Prime Time Cafe, the Tune-In Lounge has a huge drink selection and also offers the full menu of the 50′s Prime Time Cafe. Keep that in mind when you can’t get the Advance Dining Reservation you want or there is an extremely long wait for a table at 50′s Prime Time. Several different seating areas are themed to the living rooms of typical American families in the 1950′s, complete with television shows from that era. Everything about the Tune-In Lounge will take you back to a different era and time (until the check comes and you fast forward back to reality.) The full bar offers a large selection of liquid courage that will have you ready to withstand a two hour wait at Toy Story Midway Mania or even the next showing of Lights, Motors, Action! Our best bets are Dad’s Electric Lemonade and – since you can order off the 50′s Prime Time Cafe menu – a PB&J Milkshake.
Pro Tip: If you do order the PB&J Milkshake, try it with chocolate ice cream. It tastes just like Reese’s Puffs cereal and is out of this world.
# 3 – La Cava del Tequila (Epcot)
Avocado and Jalapeño margaritas at La Cava del Tequilla (photo by Stacey Lantz)
La Cava del Tequila (photo by Stacey Lantz)
La Cava del Tequila inside the Mexico pavilion in Epcot is at the very top of many “best bar” lists and it makes quite a case for itself. Specializing in tequilas, flavored salts, and various tapas, one of La Cava’s biggest strengths is its location within the Mexican pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase. Being inside keeps you away from the outdoor humidity (and frequent rain storms) and you are mere steps away from the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros, an attraction that can almost become a surreal experience after a couple shots of tequila. Our best bets are the Avocado and Jalapeño Margaritas along with the Trio Combo (tortilla chips served with salsa, queso, and guacamole.)
Pro Tip: Be sure to follow La Cava del Tequila on twitter (@cavadeltequila) as they have one of the better social media accounts of any theme park venue and often times will offer special deals ($5 shots, free chips, etc) to their followers.
# 2 – Hog’s Head (Islands of Adventure)
Hog’s Head (photo by Mike Sperduto)
Hog’s Head (photo by Mike Sperduto)
Amazingly enough, the Hog’s Head pub in Hogsmeade Village can almost be considered an overlooked gem of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Despite the fact you can get Butterbeer at the Hog’s Head, there is generally no line, or a much smaller one than at the Butterbeer carts just steps away outside the door. This is the only location at Universal where you can get the exclusive Hog’s Head Ale, brewed exclusively for the Wizarding World by the Florida Beer Company. There is a huge Hog’s Head animatronic and several shrunken heads taken straight from the Potter film Prisoner of Azkaban. As with everything in Hogsmeade Village there is detail everywhere you look, from Fire Whiskey bottles to “Yesterday’s Specials” on the wall. While there are no food offerings at the Hog’s Head, it is connected to the Three Broomsticks. There is plenty of seating inside and even more outside where you can kick back with a pint while enjoying the weather and atmosphere (pay attention to the “No Feeding of Winged Creatures” sign.) Our best bet is the Hog’s Head Ale, but we won’t blame anyone for getting their Butterbeer fix.
Pro Tip: While not advertised, the Hog’s Head offers mixed drinks as well as combinations of beers including the Golden (half Stella Artois/half Bass Ale.)
# 1 – Rose & Crown Pub (Epcot)
Rose & Crown Pub
Rose & Crown Pub (photo by Brandon Glover)
The Rose & Crown pub in Epcot’s World Showcase truly has it all. The overall theming is second to none; Rose & Crown looks and feels like walking into an authentic English bar. The location in Epcot’s World Showcase just inside the “back gate” can’t be beat and even includes a great view of the IllumiNations nighttime spectacular. The menu includes traditional English favorites such as Fish and Chips and Scotch eggs. The bar itself has great choices like Bass Ale, Guinness Stout, and Harp Lager. Then you have pub blends including the Black & Tan (half Bass/half Guinness) and a Shandy (half Sprite/half Bass Ale). AND you have beer flights and scotch flights. Our best bets are the Imperial Sampler (pictured above) and the Fish and Chips.
HONORABLE MENTION: Moe’s Tavern (USF)
Moe’s Tavern (photo by Brandon Glover)
A Flaming Moe at Moe’s Tavern (photo by Brandon Glover)
Like Duff Gardens, Moe’s Tavern may not have the amount of drink selections of the other bars on this list, but it more than makes up for it by recreating one of the most famous bars in television history. The Love Tester? It’s here. Barney Gumble? He’s here with a fantastic photo op. Tons of Simpsons references are located throughout Moe’s Tavern bringing you straight into the world of the Simpsons. While Moe’s offers no food selections, it is connected to Fast Food Blvd, the best counter service location in any theme park. Our best bet includes grabbing a Chicken and Waffle sandwich from Cletus’ Chik’n Shack and the signature Flaming Moe at the bar.
Custom La Cava del Tequila glass
So there you have it: the Top Six Theme Park Bars in Orlando. This is a subject near and dear to our hearts and we could easily turn this into a Buzzfeed-like “57 bars you need to drink at” and include more of our favorites including IOA’s Backwater Bar, Finnegan’s at USF, and Epcot’s Tutto Gusto, among others. See you next weekend for the latest edition of the Saturday Six, where we are going to go thrill seeking as we look at the Top Six Roller Coasters in Orlando. 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. I’d also like to thank Stacey Lantz and hopefully direct some of you to her blog “Confessions of a Disney Nerd.” Stacey has a wonderful sense of a humor and a passion for WDW that very few have, all of which comes across in her trip reports and blog updates.
And be sure to check out Brian McNichols’ Walt Disney World’s Bars and Lounges eGuide. Over 250 pages, over 430 pictures and over 25 recipes to recreate your favorite WDW cocktails.
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May 16, 2014
In Case You Missed It: Disney News and Rumors – Week of May 16, 2014
Looking to see a fun movie this weekend? Consider Disney’s newest offering, Million Dollar Arm, which stars Jon Hamm as a sports agents who recruits cricket players from India to play in Major League Baseball.
In other news, here’s some of the fun that you possibly missed out on from this week!
In Case You Missed It – Disney and Universal Orlando News and Rumors
A while back, Disney was working on an area on property called Flamingo Crossing. It was supposed to be a shopping and hotel district, however, it was postponed, and many thought potentially left for dead, back when the Recession hit. It appears that work may begin going forward soon on this land, as The Orlando Business Journal is reporting that two Marriott hotels may be in the process of being built soon. Will be intriguing to see what happens if and when this project moves forward.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of The Haunted Mansion. Here is some fabulous concept art that was released by Disney. I love how much these early sketches really do mimic actual portions of the attraction. The art is simply fabulous! See more sketches like this at the upcoming D23 Faniversary events across the country this fall.
Let’s go back in time to 1972, as this video surfaced of old Super 8 footage. It’s so great when pieces of film find their way to the internet.
Have you seen this yet? You can build your own stick Disney family and show off your #DisneySide! Best part is, Disney will allow you to order a decal that they will mail to you! How sweet is that?!
Cast members 100% help to make the magic at the Disney Parks and one of the ways they do that is by the water art you will sometimes see on the ground when you are passing an area. It doesn’t last long, but it takes some talented custodial Cast Members to create something that is so magical when you happen upon it.
Want to know what the “12 Game Changing Theme Park Attractions” are according to CNN Travel? Quite a few Disney attractions have made the list from across the globe!
The new Four Seasons resort on Walt Disney World property is quickly approaching its August opening date. Hotel Chatter shared some more information on how it will include some special Disney touches. Who else cannot wait to visit?
For those who like to rent cars when they visit Orlando, a recent report indicated that the city is the cheapest place in America for car rentals. More reason to consider renting a car to get around Walt Disney World, instead of taking Disney transportation all the time.
If you are a Disney Cruise Line fan, get ready! As the Disney Cruise Line Blog is reporting that Disney will be releasing it’s 2015 fall itineraries within the next week.
For you Harry Potter fans, did you know that quite a few celebs from the movie reprised their roles to film brand new footage for the new attraction Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts? In addition, USA Today posted a fantastic sneak peek at the new land. Diagon Alley seems more and more impressive with each passing day. Holy cow!
Speaking of Universal Orlando, the company recently created their own blog. Check it out!
In Case We Missed It
What did we miss? Send your idea attached to this fun Star Wars themed shirt (perfect for Star Wars Weekends, which kicked off today) and send both to blog@touringplans.com with the words “In Case You Missed It” in the subject line.
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In Case You Missed It: Disney News and Rumors – Week of May 16, 2014 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Augmented Reality App to Enhance Star Wars Weekends
According to a tweet I saw earlier in the week, during this year’s Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney is introducing a brand new way to get more information, as well as experience more Star Wars fun, via something called Augmented Reality.
Fun
#AugmentedReality @@StarWars Weekends this year. Attending? download@Aurasma app for iPhone/Android. More details to come. - Gary Buchanan (Social Media for Walt Disney World & Disney Parks)
But what exactly is Augmented Reality and how does the whole process work?
It’s actually quite simple. To access the fun, guests will need to download the Aurasma app and hold their smart phone over any image or object that is tagged indicating that it would be compatible with the app. Once done, the interactive digital content will spring to life in unexpected ways, by showing information such as videos, animations, and more. This digital content is known as an Aura.
Here is Disney’s video showcasing the whole process of what Augmented Reality will do for Star Wars Weekends. It seems that during Star Wars Weekends, the technology will be utilized for things like guide maps and merchandise. Simply look for the A symbol, signifying the Aurasma app will be compatible with that particular item, and enjoy the specialized content!
The app is available for both iPhones and Android devices.
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Walking to Star Wars Weekends: The Hollywood Studios Walking and Running Path
As Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios gets ready for Star Wars weekends opening weekend, here’s some often-requested information on the walking path between Hollywood Studios and the Epcot Resort Area.
Just outside the main gate of Hollywood Studios and past the bus lines there is a walking path that will take you to the Epcot resorts: the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, Yacht and Beach Club, and the Boardwalk. This path, when combined with the walkways around the Epcot resorts, will also allow you to walk to Epcot if you choose. Total trip distance from Hollywood Studios to the resorts is just under a mile and Hollywood Studios to Epcot is around 1.2 miles. The walk takes between 15 and 20 minutes at a relaxed pace. When Hollywood Studios is crowded and boats are hard to come by, this path provides a fairly quick (often quicker than the boats anyway) and pleasant walk to the resorts. Many Hollywood Studios guests take a break from the heat and crowds at Star Wars Weekends at the Epcot Resorts restaurants like Beaches and Cream and Cape May Cafe and use this path to get there.
From the resorts, the path begins just behind the Boardwalk Resort off the bridge from the Swan and Dolphin. There’s a sign just as you pass under the Boardwalk arches pictured above.
If you’re coming from the resorts, the path begins just behind Atlantic Dance Hall at the Boardwalk
Keep right by the green railing and just follow the path.
You’ll pass behind the Boardwalk’s two pool areas on your walk.
Signage sits just behind the Boardwalk’s tennis courts.
Don’t forget to look for the survey marker on the path as you pass the tennis courts.
A famous Walt Disney World Survey Marker
There’s nothing confusing about the path’s direction, so no need to worry about getting lost. It’s well-lit and regularly traveled at any time of day that Hollywood Studios is open and often after hours. There is no access from any off-property location or roadway, so it’s very safe. Friendship boats regularly pass by on the canal as well.
This underpass is very well lit at night.
The view as you near Hollywood Studios makes for some really lovely pictures. This area is a great place to watch the Symphony in the Stars fireworks show as it’s somewhat unknown, not crowded at all, and a great piece of sky.
The view from the path as you near Hollywood Studios is lovely during the daytime or at night, especially during showings of Symphony in the Stars fireworks.
Friendship boats from Hollywood Studios pass the walkway regularly.
The path continues around the lake and to a sidewalk that, after a slight incline, merges with the sidewalk beside the Hollywood Studios bus stops.
The path merges with the sidewalk at the Hollywood Studios bus stops
Just a few more steps and you’re at the Hollywood Studios gates!
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Walking to Star Wars Weekends: The Hollywood Studios Walking and Running Path is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
Magic Kingdom 24 Hour Day Adds Extra Events
Extra hours at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on May 23, 2014, means extra shows and events for those who wish to stay up all night in the theme park. If you are willing to burn the midnight oil or wonder how you can sleep when the beds are burning (it’s an 80′s song reference, kids!), these are the things you can enjoy in the Florida theme park:
(As you will notice, we don’t have much information about what these are yet. We will let you know as soon as we know)
Incredibles Super Movie Night – 11:00 pm to 5:00 am – This is listed on Disney’s website as a “Stage Show”
Disney Villains Pre-Parade – 10:45pm
Disney’s Up All Night Dance Party
Frontierland Dance Party
The Dance Parties have been done in past 24 hour events and are just as they sound: dancing, loud music, and usually some characters. Our best guess on the Villains Pre-Parade is that Disney Villains walk the parade route before the parade, which seems obvious from the title now that it’s typed out.
In addition to the festivities at the Magic Kingdom, there is also a bit of a change at Epcot for May 23, as that park is open until midnight. Usually Epcot closes at 9:00 pm like clockwork all but a few times per year, but we suspect Disney wanted to manage the crowd flow into the Magic Kingdom’s 24-hour day a little more. If you decide to hang out in Epcot until 12:00 am, it looks like there will be a few extra shows by World Showcase favorites Off Kilter, Mo’Rockin, and British Revolution to entertain you.
We will be back with more information as soon as it becomes available.
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Magic Kingdom 24 Hour Day Adds Extra Events 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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