Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1234

Live From the Disney Dream

By Laurel Stewart

One of our favorite things on the Dream – the Aquaduck

Do you have questions about Disney Cruise Line? Starting today, May 1, we will be blogging live from the Disney Dream. Ask your questions in the comments – anything from can you post today’s Personal Navigator to what’s on the menu at Animator’s Palate tonight – and we will be happy to get you answers. We’re going to be on the Dream for seven nights, a back to back 3-night, followed by a 4-night. The cruise stops at Nassau and Castaway Cay on each sailing.

We’ll start a new article each day, so keep checking back!

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Epcot: Nine Dragons Dining Review

By Daisy Lauren

Anyone that read my around the world series already knows that my favorite restaurant in Epcot is Nine Dragons. I’m not sure if that happened because we’re normally able to sneak in without a reservation or because it’s one of the few places that my picky hubby will eat without complaint. I can tell you that over all the years we’ve never had a single bad meal or experience at this awesome restaurant! I’ve been surprised to read mixed reviews on this hidden gem, so I thought it was time to shine some light on one of our favorite dining spots.

So what do you do if you’re wondering around World Showcase Lagoon and find yourself starving but didn’t make that dining reservation six months in advance? Well, one option is to grab some quick service grub or a snack at one of the many seasonal – but practically becoming permanent – dining booths around the world. However, if you feel like spoiling yourself stop by the podium at Nine Dragons. While I’m sure this isn’t always the case, I can tell you we’ve never been turned away. (Of course, we’ve never tried on New Year’s Eve or an equally insane day in the parks). In most cases we’ve been seated in a matter of minutes.

Our most recent experience we wandered (thanks Ashley) up to check availability just a little before 6pm on a busy Saturday. I had looked on the My Magic Experience App and been told they were booked solid, but we decided to try anyway. We scored a table after a very short wait, but we were sandwiched between two other tables. The guests on our left ordered a bottle of wine, and the wine bucket stand was literally touching each of our tables. It was tight! Of course, we didn’t mind getting to know our neighbors, but if that doesn’t sound like your idea of fun, we’ve had better luck when we’ve made advance reservations.

Even though the table arrangements can be interesting, the decor is really lovely! There are large windows all along the side facing the World Showcase Lagoon and lantern light fixtures throughout the dining room. The restaurant is split into two smaller rooms by a carved wood and glass divider. Even just stopping in the front door, there’s a large dragon etched in glass and other ornate dragons if you look for them!

The service at this restaurant can only be compared to what you’d receive on a cruise ship. Our glasses never quite make it to empty without being whisked away and replaced. One course is promptly followed by the next, normally with a manager stopping by to make sure we’re enjoying our meal. I once dropped my fork and was given another before I could even pick the first one up off the floor. After a long day at work we joke that Nine Dragons is a mini vacation!

But what about the food? I can tell you that short of heading off-property to Celebration to visit Thai Thani, this is our favorite local spot for Chinese. Though we’ve tried most of the menu, we always start off with the Pot Stickers pictured above. Other favorites include: Shrimp and Taro Lollipops and Shrimp and Chicken Egg Rolls. The appetizer trio is also excellent if you’re traveling with a larger group.

                 

For entrees we’ve tried several of the options, but, even though everything is excellent, we keep coming back to the same favorites. My go-to dish is the Peppery Shrimp with Lightly Spiced Spinach Noodles. Every time I order it I’m warned that it’s spicy, but I’ve never found it to be too hot. There’s just the right amount of kick to balance out the spinach noodles. My hubby loves the Honey-Sesame Chicken. I’ve tried it, but it’s just too sweet to be my favorite. Not to mention I normally prefer to skip fried food. If neither of these look exciting you, I also really like the Fragrant Five-Spiced Fish. Of course, you can find Chinese food staples like Kung Pao Chicken and Fried Rice if you aren’t feeling too adventurous.

Knowing that I was planning a review for you guys, I went ahead and sampled most of the desserts. The things I do for you! We skipped the Coconut Rice Pudding because neither one of us is a fan of rice pudding. Pictured are the Chinese Ginger Cake, Strawberry-Red Bean Ice Cream, and Caramel-Ginger Ice Cream. If there’s one area that Nine Dragons lacks a bit, it’s the dessert department. The ginger cake is light and flavorful, but with so many other options around the World Showcase, I would give it a miss. The ice cream flavors are yummy with the sweet red bean and spicy caramel ginger, but at the end of the day it’s just ice cream. We normally skip dessert when we eat here and just pick something else out from another country. However, if you’re on the dining plan and dessert is included, the caramel ginger ice cream is my favorite of the group.

Have you tried Nine Dragons? What did you think? What restaurant would you pick if you could eat anywhere in Disney World? Let us know in the comments below! As always, thanks so much for reading and commenting!

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An Ode to H2O

By Erin Foster

One of the lovely little perks of staying at the Disney World resort hotels is that you get a supply of H2O brand products in your bathroom. The soaps and shampoos feel luxurious and smell simply divine. The “blushing orange” scent is, to my nose, almost identical to the aroma synchronized to the orange grove scene in Epcot’s Soarin’ attraction, so my shower not only reminds me of my happy place, but also of my happy ride in my happy place. Genius.

H2O products at the Disney resort hotels.

In addition to the two scents most commonly found in the Walt Disney World resorts (blushing orange and grapefruit bergamot), there are also formulas for Disney Cruise Line (the sea marine line), and a dedicated blend for Disney’s Hawaiian outpost, Aulani, called Hawaiian Sea Salt. Each of these variations has its own cult following. I’m not naming names, but among my pals at the Disney Parks Moms Panel, we have several H2O addicts, including one who begs for Sea Salt lotion from friends visiting Aulani and another who gushed that a bottle of Sea Marine shampoo was a favorite holiday gift. I myself have a not insubstantial stash of the stuff in my hall closet right now.

Typical sale offer on the website.

If you’ve developed your own H2O addiction, I’m here to help you out.

First, you should know that if you’re staying in a non-villa room at any of the Disney World resort hotels, they’ll supply you with as much soap/shampoo/conditioner as you need. Just give a call to housekeeping and they’ll bring you several extra bottles of each.

Products for sale in the gift shops.

If you want a larger fix, you can find the Blushing Orange, Grapefruit Bergamot, and Sea Marine scents sold in several products in a gift shop at every Disney resort hotel. These are multi-use containers, not the little travel-sized bottles you’ll get in your room.

I’m all for owning your addiction and buying a full-sized supply, but there are some potential problems with buying from the hotel gift shop. First, if you’re traveling with only carry-on bags, then these larger bottles will never make it past the TSA.

The second issue is price. The H2O items are priced like mid-level luxury brands, which is fine since that’s what they are. However, if you’re used to store-brand pricing at home, you my be in for a bit of sticker shock. If you’re an annual pass holder, Disney Visa card holder, or a member of a few other groups, you may be eligible for a 10% discount (always ask). But that still may be a bit more than you’d like to spend.

Full ingredient lists available online.

My alternative is to buy directly from the source. The blushing orange, grapefruit bergamot, and sea marine scented products are all available from H2OPlus.com. I’ve subscribed to their mailing list and regularly (several times per month) receive sale offers like 25% off, free shipping, or gift with purchase.

As fun as it is to buy things while you’re in souvenir mode at Walt Disney World, it simply doesn’t make sense when you can pay less for the same item elsewhere. There is also a frequent buyer membership card that gives access to additional perks and discounts.

Some of the products are also sold at beauty supply retailers such as Ulta and a few H2O stand-alone shops.

Another option is to buy your H2O supply through DisneyStore.com. Their pricing is usually the same as that in the hotel gift shops, but several times a year there are 20-25% off discount coupons available, and you can almost always get free shipping for on a $75 or more purchase. (Be sure to input appropriate coupon codes.)

Disney Cruise Line H2O items.

But back to the website … If you will be shopping there, here are some helpful tips: There is a special section of the site just for the Disney resort items. The site offers skin care tips and they provide extensive ingredient lists so that folks with allergies or sensitivities can choose the products that make the most sense for them. They even provide ingredient lists for products, like the Aulani items, that they make but aren’t actually sold on the site.

Have you developed a passion for H2O while staying at the Disney hotels? Have you ever been prompted to buy a brand after using it in a hotel? Do you find the scents appealing or do they bother you? Let us know in the comments below.

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Disney Releases Spoiler-Filled Video of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

By Rikki Niblett

©Disney

Many of you know that this week, Disney is holding a media event promoting the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. To gear up the excitement, Disney has released a front seat video on the Disney Parks Blog of the attraction, with spoilers and all!

It looks quite stunning! The Imagineers have done a phenomenal job in creating this attraction. Also, the views are quite amazing. Oh and the AudioAnamatronics look unreal! They absolutely are a sight to see. I know there is a tiny portion of the attraction that we didn’t get to see, which is the cottage which features Snow White. So, there is one final surprise for when guests officially get to ride it. This is going to be one fun coaster when it opens!

I’m one who is very cautious of spoilers, so for those that want to view the video, you can see it here.

In addition, Disney released some great fun facts about the attraction:

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is almost completely “on stage.” With its location in the middle of New Fantasyland, guests aboard the rockin’ coaster are afforded amazing views from all angles.


The footprints of forest creatures, large and small, and the impressions of sticks, stones and acorns are embedded in the dirt path that meanders through the Enchanted Forest, leading to the attraction.


The Dwarfs cottage is a meticulously detailed representation of the cozy home seen in the classic film, down to the wisteria vine and birdhouse at the front door.


At the first interactive station in the attraction queue, Doc’s note explains the jewel washing game. As the jewels flow by in a wooden trough, or sluice, guests touch and drag them into a tray on the side of the sluice, matching them by color and shape. The trough is about 15 feet long and is accessible from both sides.
At the jewel washing station, a melody from the classic film can be created by moving from spigot to spigot. There are 12 spigots, corresponding to the notes of the musical scale.


At the third interactive station in the queue, “Vault” is carved into the wooden crosspiece, or lintel, above the doorway. This is a reference to the scene in the film where Dopey opens the vault and throws in a bag of gems, then locks the door with a key. For safekeeping, Dopey hangs the key to the vault on a peg next to the door. The key hangs on a peg next to the entrance to the vault in the queue as well.


The figures of Grumpy, Doc, Bashful, Sleepy, and Happy, seen in the cottage near the end of the attraction, originally appeared in Snow White’s Scary Adventure. The figures of Snow White, Dopey and Sneezy, in the cottage scene, were created for this attraction.


The two vultures perched on the jib crane near the mine entrance are styled after the vultures in the film and originally appeared in the Snow White’s Scary Adventure attraction.


The individual mine cars are designed to reflect similar vehicles that appear in the film, handmade of wood by the Dwarfs, shaped with an ax, and used to haul rocks and jewels. Hand-hammered metal bands and nails are used to bind the wood. In the film, the mine cars sit in a cradle that allows them to be tipped to unload their contents. Here, the cradle design allows the cars to swing back and forth as they carry riders along the winding track.


The innovative, patented ride system for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is an original design developed at Walt Disney Imagineering. It features five-car trains designed to swing independently from side to side as they move along the track. This newly patented design provides a one-of-a-kind ride experience.


Next to Doc’s workstation in the mine, the carved wooden clock is a replica of the one seen in the film with the figures of two miners striking an anvil. As in the film, that motion signals the start of the song, “Heigh-Ho.”


The jewels seen throughout the mine come in four different sizes and six different colors: red, green, amber, purple, blue and clear.


The shadows of the Dwarfs marching homeward along the track on the lift inside of the mine were rotoscoped from the scene in the original film where the Dwarfs march across a log bridge, singing “…home from work we go.” (Rotoscoping is a technique where the movements of a figure in original live or animated footage are copied, or traced, frame-by-frame).


At the top of the second lift, guests have a brief moment to enjoy an inspiring view across Fantasyland to Belle’s cottage, Beast’s Castle above Be Our Guest Restaurant, and beyond. Then, the track drops precipitously, passing under a trestle and looping around the mountain crossing over the same trestle. The vehicle picks up speed as it careens down the mountain, twisting and turning, with its cars swinging back and forth. At the foot of the mountain, the mine train loops back to cross a pool at the bottom of a waterfall.


In the original tale by the Brothers Grimm, the Dwarfs were unnamed. When Walt Disney and his animators decided to name them to correspond with their character, scores of names were rejected including: Wheezy, Jumpy, Baldy, Hickey, Sniffy, Stuffy, Burpy, Tubby, Shorty, Deafy and Dizzy.


In the last view of the cottage, around the corner of the far wall, the Wicked Queen can be seen in her disguise as an old hag watching Snow White and the Dwarfs through a cottage window. She turns toward the train as it passes, and cackles wickedly.

Disney still hasn’t mentioned an official opening date, though I suspect that will be announced within the next couple of days. I will make sure to keep you all posted on all the news about the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, as well as anything else!

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, in the Enchanted Forest of New Fantasyland (Magic Kingdom), is a family coaster inspired by the film classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” that takes Walt Disney World Resort guests into the famous mine, glittering with diamonds, rubies, and other precious gems, where the Seven Dwarfs sing happily as they work.


Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is almost completely “on stage.” With its location in the middle of New Fantasyland, guests aboard the rockin’ coaster are afforded amazing views from all angles.


The footprints of forest creatures, large and small, and the impressions of sticks, stones and acorns are embedded in the dirt path that meanders through the Enchanted Forest, leading to the attraction.


The Dwarfs cottage is a meticulously detailed representation of the cozy home seen in the classic film, down to the wisteria vine and birdhouse at the front door.


At the first interactive station in the attraction queue, Doc’s note explains the jewel washing game. As the jewels flow by in a wooden trough, or sluice, guests touch and drag them into a tray on the side of the sluice, matching them by color and shape. The trough is about 15 feet long and is accessible from both sides.


At the third interactive station in the queue, “Vault” is carved into the wooden crosspiece, or lintel, above the doorway. This is a reference to the scene in the film where Dopey opens the vault and throws in a bag of gems, then locks the door with a key. For safekeeping, Dopey hangs the key to the vault on a peg next to the door. The key hangs on a peg next to the entrance to the vault in the queue as well.


The figures of Grumpy, Doc, Bashful, Sleepy, and Happy, seen in the cottage near the end of the attraction, originally appeared in Snow White’s Scary Adventure, a Magic Kingdom attraction now the site of Princess Fairytale Hall. The figures of Snow White, Dopey and Sneezy, in the cottage scene, were created for this attraction.


The two vultures perched on the jib crane near the mine entrance are styled after the vultures in the film and originally appeared in the Snow White’s Scary Adventure attraction.


The individual mine cars are designed to reflect similar vehicles that appear in the film, handmade of wood by the Dwarfs, shaped with an ax, and used to haul rocks and jewels. Hand-hammered metal bands and nails are used to bind the wood. In the film, the mine cars sit in a cradle that allows them to be tipped to unload their contents. Here, the cradle design allows the cars to swing back and forth as they carry riders along the winding track.


The innovative, patented ride system for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is an original design developed at Walt Disney Imagineering. It features five-car trains designed to swing independently from side to side as they move along the track. This newly patented design provides a one-of-a-kind ride experience.


Next to Doc’s workstation in the mine, the carved wooden clock is a replica of the one seen in the film with the figures of two miners striking an anvil. As in the film, that motion signals the start of the beloved song, “Heigh-Ho.”


At the jewel washing station, a melody from the classic film can be created by moving from spigot to spigot. There are 12 spigots, corresponding to the notes of the musical scale.


The jewels seen throughout the mine come in four different sizes and six different colors: red, green, amber, purple, blue and clear.


The shadows of the Dwarfs marching homeward along the track on the lift inside of the mine were rotoscoped from the scene in the original film where the Dwarfs march across a log bridge, singing “…home from work we go.” (Rotoscoping is a technique where the movements of a figure in original live or animated footage are copied, or traced, frame-by-frame).


At the top of the second lift, guests have a brief moment to enjoy an inspiring view across Fantasyland to Belle’s cottage, Beast’s Castle above Be Our Guest Restaurant, and beyond. Then, the track drops precipitously, passing under a trestle and looping around the mountain crossing over the same trestle. The vehicle picks up speed as it careens down the mountain, twisting and turning, with its cars swinging back and forth. At the foot of the mountain, the mine train loops back to cross a pool at the bottom of a waterfall.


In the original tale by the Brothers Grimm, the Dwarfs were unnamed. When Walt Disney and his animators decided to name them to correspond with their character, scores of names were rejected including: Wheezy, Jumpy, Baldy, Hickey, Sniffy, Stuffy, Burpy, Tubby, Shorty, Deafy and Dizzy.


In the last view of the cottage, around the corner of the far wall, the Wicked Queen can be seen in her disguise as an old hag watching Snow White and the Dwarfs through a cottage window. She turns toward the train as it passes, and cackles wickedly.

Disney still hasn’t mentioned an official opening date, though I suspect that will be announced within the next couple of days. I will make sure to keep you all posted on all the news about the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, as well as anything else!

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Disney Releases Spoiler-Filled Video of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Observations from the Universal Orlando Resort: April 26, 2014 (Margaritaville, New Merchandise, Royal Pacific Resort)

By Derek Burgan

Last week intrepid Potter reporter Seth Kubersky scoured both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure for the latest updates to his running series of PotterWatch articles. There were several big changes in the WWOHP world, including the arrival of the Knight Bus and the Wiseacre’s Wizarding Supplies storefront in Hogsmeade Village being converted into Madame Puddifoot’s Tea Shop. Crack photographer Brandon Glover and myself hit the parks later in the week to see what else was going on at Universal. Here’s what we found…

When your walk to the park looks like this, who wants to take a shuttle or boat?

We actually started our day at the Royal Pacific Resort (RPR), my favorite hotel in Orlando. The Disney Hipsters will be making their first ever trip to Universal shortly and staying at the RPR, so I figured it would be fun to give them an idea of what they about to enjoy. One thing I noticed is that the RPR had taken care of a “short cut” that many guests had used to walk from the paved walkway to the hotel lobby area.

You can see in the picture above the darker shade of grass on the hill. This grass has filled in the large path of dirt that was leading up the hill. The top of the hill has also been blocked by using a palm tree so hopefully this will dissuade anyone from cutting through.

The actual walk to Universal from the RPR is a relaxing one with a lot of foliage. Takes me about five minutes and nothing gets me more pumped that starting to hear the Port of Entry background music loop when I start to get closer to the park.

The walkway from the hotel lets you out directly next to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. Margaritaville has recently finished the work on the Porch of Indecision expansion and has a new “refreshed” menu, so we figured we would stop for a bite.

There is a large number of tables outside, and we were seated immediately. One thing I had wanted to try for a long time was the Volcano Nachos. I had heard they were pretty extreme, and as someone has written several articles on outrageous foods at Universal (and Disney), that was like a song bird singing sweet music to my ears.

Volcano Nachos at Margaritaville

It was everything we could have hoped for and more. Simply incredible. Part of the new menu includes a Volcano Burger that has – among other things – Fritos in it. Yes, Fritos. Well, we had to get that.

Volcano Burger at Margarittaville

Every bit as good as you expect it to be and then some. The Fritos with the burger were great and now will have me concocting a Doritos burger at home. Maybe I can use a pretzel bun and really take things up a notch.

Landshark Lager Fish n’ Chips at Margarittaville

Another item that caught our fancy was the Landshark Lager Fish n’ Chips. I risked the wrath of Brandon (who I believe has an “Epcot 82″ tattoo) by saying these were better than what Rose and Crown offers in World Showcase. Overall an excellent lunch. Nachos were $15.99, Fish n’ Chips were $16.99, and Volcano Burger was $14.29. The serving sizes were huge.

After Margaritaville our first stop was Islands of Adventure. The items that were formerly available to in Zonkos have been moved to the front of the park at the Islands Trading Co. store. I always thought Zonkos was the least successful element of Hogsmeade Village, and think it’s a win-win situation with Honeydukes getting larger (be sure to get a Candy Cauldron) and a better wizard joke shop coming to Diagon Alley in the form of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. The expansion of Honeydukes also has the side benefit of allowing much better crowd flow to alleviate some of the congestion.

Zonkos products

Next up was a walk through Marvel Superhero Island, where we ran into Captain America.

Captain America

The gift stores throughout Marvel Island have Captain America merchandise everywhere.

What was surprising to see was the Captain America Diner closed at 3PM. This past weekend’s edition of the SATURDAY SIX looked at six areas of Universal that can possibly be improved, and longer hours for the restaurants is near the top of that list. We’re just a couple weeks into the run of The Winter Solider movie (which has already grossed almost $650M worldwide), and Captain America has never been hotter. Soon X-Men: Days of Future Past movie will be released (May 23), and that also looks to be huge. Will Universal take advantage by giving X merchandise and characters more of a presence? We’ll see.

Captain America Diner with hours that would make a banker blush.

This weekend’s SATURDAY SIX is going to be the six most underrated shows and attractions at Universal. My personal #1 is Poseidon’s Fury. The outside theming is second to none (this holds up to WWOHP standards), and the show itself has several “how did they do that?!” moments. Please take the time to place your most underrated attraction or show in the comments section below.

Poseidon’s Fury

We headed over to Universal Studios Florida, and I was in for a treat, literally. At the Studios Sweets store at the front of the park there were new attraction-themed candies!

A Jaws lollipop! How insanely great is that? But then it got even BETTER.

Pinch me, I’m dreaming.

New Jaws merchandise in 2014. Let’s hope this is a beginning of a trend. There were also several other attraction-based candies, including Shrek and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish but my favorites were…

I still can barely believe this is real. HUZZAH!!

“Are there any dinosaurs on your dinosaur ride?” – Ian Malcolm

This retro theming fits right in with Cabana Bay.

Each box of candy is $7.95, but they do take annual pass discounts. After 10% off and tax, each box comes out to $7.52

There was also Butterbeer merchandise out and about. I want to say I have seen it before, but it has never been front and center in the stores to my knowledge. I liked that the Butterbeer mugs were made out of actual glass and had some weight to them.

One of the “little things” that rarely gets mentioned on any Universal trip report is the live band that is usually playing at the front of the park. These guys are great and set the mood for a fun day touring the park.

In the New York section of the park was this Chillin’ Charlie’s Lemon Slush cart. I don’t recall seeing it before. There is a Chillin’ Charlie’s over in Islands of Adventure, so apparently JK Rowling isn’t the only franchise doing okay for itself right now.

Recently there was a pretty fascinating Open Letter to Tom Fitzgerald (new Creative Director of Epcot), and it prompted me to write my own open letter.

Dear guests who put their kids or friends on their shoulders to look over theme park construction walls,

Stahp. Just stahp.

Sincerely, Derek

DON”T DO THIS!

Made a quick run through Springfield and no matter how many times I see the various signs inside the Kwik-E-Mart, they never fail to make me smile.

Kwik-E-Mart

Kwik-E-Mart

Popeye has been out and about in both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida lately. Probably trying to figure out why so many people are choosing Kale over Spinach. (It’s because they are crazy, Popeye!)

We ended our day by heading back to CityWalk and checking out the Fusion Bistro Sushi & Sake bar. Seth Kubersky has been raving about this place, and we figured we would try it out. it is located on the second level of CityWalk, directly next to the AMC Cineplex.

Fusion Bistro Sushi & Sake Bar at CityWalk

I loved that for drinks they have a ninja sword and a sumo wrestler for the draght beers.

Fusion Bistro Sushi & Sake Bar in CityWalk

We ended up getting the Chicken Wings that are served in a sweet chili sauce. Another thumbs up. Right now it’s hard to beat CityWalk for food options (Hard Rock Cafe, Antojitos, Red Oven Pizza Bakery, and Margaritaville always deliver and  - say what you will – NBA City and NASCAR Grille are fantastic sports restaurants), and with The Cowfish on the way, it looks to get even better. Probably a good thing, too, since the options inside the park close before even my grandmother wants to eat dinner.

Chicken wings

That’s it for this trip. Very pleasant day overall with some great food. If you liked what you read you may enjoy my monthly Photo Reports of the Disney Outlet Store in The Magic, The Memories, and Merch!

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Observations from the Universal Orlando Resort: April 26, 2014 (Margaritaville, New Merchandise, Royal Pacific Resort) is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Observations from the Universal Orlando Resort: April 26th, 2014 (Margaritaville, New Merchandise, Royal Pacific Resort)

By Derek Burgan

Last week intrepid Potter reporter Seth Kubersky scoured both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure for the latest updates to his running series of PotterWatch articles.  There were several big changes in the WWOHP world including the arrival of the Knight Bus and the Wiseacre’s Wizarding Supplies storefront in Hogsmeade Village being converted into Madame Puddifoot’s Tea Shop. Crack photographer Brandon Glover and myself hit the parks later in the week to see what else was going on at Universal. Here’s what we found…

When your walk to the park looks like this, who wants to take a shuttle or boat?

We actually started our day at the Royal Pacific Resort (RPR), my favorite hotel in Orlando.  The Disney Hipsters will be making their first ever trip to Universal shortly and staying at the RPR, so I figured it would be fun to give them an idea of what they about to enjoy. One thing I noticed is that the RPR had taken care of a “short cut” that many guests had used to walk from the paved walkway to the hotel lobby area.

You can see in the picture above the darker shade of grass on the hill. This grass has filled in the large path of dirt that was leading up the hill. The top of the hill has also been blocked by using a palm tree so hopefully this will dissuade anyone from cutting through.

The actual walk to Universal from the RPR is a relaxing one with a lot of foliage. Takes me about five minutes and nothing gets me more pumped that starting to hear the Port of Entry background music loop when I start to get closer to the park.

The walkway from the hotel lets you out directly next to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. Margaritaville has recently finished the work on the Porch of Indecision expansion and has a new “refreshed” menu, so we figured we would stop for a bite.

There is a large number of tables outside and we were seated immediately. One thing I had wanted to try for a long time was the Volcano Nachos. I had heard they were pretty extreme and as someone has written several articles on outrageous foods at Universal (and Disney), that was like a song bird singing sweet music to my ears.

Volcano Nachos at Margaritaville

It was everything we could have hoped for and more. Simply incredible. Part of the new menu includes a Volcano Burger that has – among other things – Fritos in it. Yes, Fritos. Well, we had to get that.

Volcano Burger at Margarittaville

Every bit as good as you expect it to be and then some. The Fritos with the burger were great and now will have me concocting a Doritos burger at home. Maybe I can use a pretzel bun and really take things up a notch.

Landshark Lager Fish n’ Chips at Margarittaville

Another item that caught our fancy was the Landshark Lager Fish n’ Chips. I risked the wrath of Brandon (who I believe has an “Epcot 82″ tattoo) by saying these were better than what Rose and Crown offers in World Showcase. Overall an excellent lunch. Nachos were $15.99, Fish n’ Chips were $16.99 and Volcano Burger was $14.29. The serving sizes were huge.

After Margaritaville our first stop was Islands of Adventure. The items that were formerly available to in Zonkos have been moved to the front of the park at the Islands Trading Co. store. I always thought Zonkos was the least successful  element of Hogsmeade Village and think it’s a win-win situation with Honeydukes getting larger (be sure to get a Candy Cauldron) and a better wizard joke shop coming to Diagon Alley in the form of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. The expansion of Honeydukes also has the side benefit of allowing much better crowd flow to alleviate some of the congestion.

Zonkos products

Next up was a walk through Marvel Superhero Island where we ran into Captain America.

Captain America

The gift stores throughout Marvel Island have Captain America merchandise everywhere.

What was surprising to see was the Captain America Diner closed at 3PM. This past weekend’s edition of the SATURDAY SIX looked at six areas of Universal that can possibly be improved and longer hours for the restaurants is near the top of that list. We’re just a couple weeks into the run of the Winter Solider movie (which has already grossed almost $650M worldwide) and Captain America has never been hotter. Soon the X-Men Days of Future Past movie will be release (May 23rd) and that also looks to be huge. Will Universal take advantage by giving X merchandise and characters more of a presence? We’ll see.

Captain America Diner with hours that would make a banker blush.

This weekend’s SATURDAY SIX is going to be the six most underrated shows and attractions at Universal. My personal # 1 is Poseidon’s Fury. The outside theming is second to none (this holds up to WWOHP standards) and the show itself has several “how did they do that?!” moments. Please take the time to place your most underrated attraction or show in the comments section below.

Poseidon’s Fury

We headed over to Universal Studios Florida and I was in for a treat, literally. At the Studios Sweets store at the front of the park there were new attraction-themed candies!

A Jaws lollipop! How insanely great is that? But then it got even BETTER.

Pinch me, I’m dreaming.

New Jaws merchandise in 2014. Let’s hope this is a beginning of a trend. There were also several other attraction-based candies including Shrek and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish but my favorites were…

I still can barely believe this is real. HUZZAH!!

“Are there any dinosaurs on your dinosaur ride?” – Ian Malcolm

This retro theming fits right in with Cabana Bay.

Each box of candy is $7.95 but they do take annual pass discounts. After 10% off and tax each box comes out to $7.52

There was also Butterbeer merchandise out and about. I want to say I have seen it before, but it has never been front and center in the stores to my knowledge. I liked that the Butterbeer mugs were made out of actual glass and had some weight to them.

One of the “little things” that rarely gets mentioned on any Universal trip report is the live band that is usually playing at the front of the park. These guys are great and set the mood for a fun day touring the park.

In the New York section of the park was this  Chillin’ Charlie’s Lemon Slush cart. I don’t recall seeing it before. There is a Chillin’ Charlie’s over in Islands of Adventure, so apparently JK Rowling isn’t the only franchise doing okay for itself right now.

Recently there was a pretty fascinating Open Letter to Tom Fitzgerald (new Creative Director of Epcot) and it prompted me to write my own open letter.

Dear guests who put their kids or friends on their shoulders to look over theme park construction walls,

Stahp. Just stahp.

Sincerely, Derek

DON”T DO THIS!

Made a quick run through Springfield and no matter how many times I see the various signs inside the Kwik-E-Mart it never fails to make me smile.

Kwik-E-Mart

Kwik-E-Mart

Popeye has been out and about in both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida lately. Probably trying to figure out why so many people are choosing Kale over Spinach. (It’s because they are crazy Popeye!)

We ended our day by heading back to CityWalk and checking out the Fusion Bistro Sushi & Sake bar. Seth Kubersky has been raving about this place and we figured we would try it out. it is located on the second level of CityWalk, directly next to the AMC theatres.

Fusion Bistro Sushi & Sake Bar at CityWalk

I loved that for drinks they have a ninja sword and a sumo wrestler for the draght beers.

Fusion Bistro Sushi & Sake Bar in CityWalk

We ended up getting the Chicken Wings that are served in a sweet chili sauce. Another thumbs up. Right now it’s hard to beat CityWalk for food options (Hard Rock Cafe, Antojitos Red Over Pizza Bakery and Margaritaville always deliver and say what you will, NBA City and NASCAR Grille are fantastic sports restaurants) and with The Cowfish on the way it looks to get even better. Probably a good thing too since the options inside the park close before even my grandmother wants to eat dinner.

Chicken wings

That’s it for this trip. Very pleasant day overall with some great food.  If you liked what you read you may enjoy my monthly Photo Reports of the Disney Outlet Store in The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! And if possible please leave your vote for most underrated attraction or show at Universal in the comments below. Thanks!

 

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Observations from the Universal Orlando Resort: April 26th, 2014 (Margaritaville, New Merchandise, Royal Pacific Resort) is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Disney Gift Cards 101

By Laurel Stewart

The classic Disney gift card design

As a frequent traveler to Disney parks and the Disney Cruise Line, I’m a huge fan of Disney gift cards. They reduce my need for cash on hand, allow me to sock away money for trips, and make great gifts for people who will be in the parks. As this type of card becomes more and more ubiquitous, you may think you know all there is to know about Disney gift cards. But maybe not. Read on.

Here are just a few of the designs available on DisneyStore.com

Where Can I Purchase a Disney Gift Card?

As part of the day to day business of TouringPlans, I purchase a lot of gift cards for people who are doing dining research. Those are cards I buy from DisneyStore.com and ship directly to the recipient. Shipping is free unless you expedite it and the card usually arrives in the mail in about a week. They also have a large selection of designs to choose from. Note that DisneyStore.com sells two types of gift cards – the plastic kind you can use in the parks that we’re talking about here, and the online gift card that can only be used at DisneyStore.com.

Disney also has a dedicated site, DisneyGiftCard.com, which has the biggest selection of designs and even showcases cards that are no longer available (apparently old gift card designs are collectible). This site had some issues for me as described in the section on checking your balance.

When I’m in the parks and have a need for cashless purchasing, I buy a gift card at any merchandise location. This approach also works great when you want to let your kids be able to make purchases, but don’t want to hand over cash or give them charging privileges.

You can also buy gift cards in pre-determined amounts (usually $25 or $50) in big box stores like Target or Walmart. Rarely, warehouse stores like Costco or Sam’s will also sell packs Disney gift cards at a small discount.

Finally, if you’re near a Disney Store, you can also buy Disney gift cards there, but be sure you’re buying the ones that can be used in the parks.

Where Can I Use a Disney Gift Card?

If you’re in a United States park or sailing DCL, pretty much anywhere that can take a credit card (that is any place with a card reader) – a very few kiosks are cash-only.

Walt Disney World Resort
Disneyland Resort
Disney Cruise Line
Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort
Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa
DisneyStore.com
The Disney Store (bricks and mortar)
Disney Outlet Stores (read more about these in Derek Burgan’s always-entertaining series, The Magic! Memories! And Merch!)
The Disney shops at Orlando International Airport – The Magic of Disney and Disney’s Earport
Other online Disney sites, like DisneyMusicStore.com, Club Penguin, and MyDisneyPhotoPass.com

Disney gift cards are not accepted in any of the international parks such as Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, or Hong Kong Disneyland.

What Can I Buy with a Disney Gift Card?

Sure, you know the usual stuff like food and merchandise, but here are some more ideas:

Park tickets
Apply to your onsite resort charges when you check in or before you check out
Disney resort reservations
Disney Cruise Line reservations
All or part of your Adventures by Disney trip
Put toward your Disney Vacation Club points or yearly dues

What CAN’T I Buy with a Disney Gift Card?

Purchases at non-Disney owned hotels like the Swan and Dolphin
RunDisney race fees (these are handled through Active.com)
Disney Dollars (this causes a potential fraud issue)

Deals and Discounts on Disney Gift Cards

One favorite of many readers for getting a deal on purchasing a Disney gift card is to use a Target REDcard to buy the gift card at the Target checkout. Because the Disney gift card is considered an “entertainment card” at Target’s POS, it is eligible for a 5% discount when purchased with a REDcard (debit or credit).

Because I don’t like to have store credit cards, I use my Disney Visa from Chase (which we use for all our Disney expenses). We get 2% back on all Disney purchases when we use this card. I put the cash back on a Disney Rewards Card (explained below). The Disney Visa does have a yearly fee, but for TouringPlans, we charge enough that the 2% back is a good deal for us. If I did not have a Disney Visa, I would use my no-annual-fee credit card that gives 1% cash back into my bank account.

Another tactic I haven’t tried, but would love to hear about it you have, is online gift card exchanges. These are sites online where you can trade the gift card you got for, say, Williams-Sonoma when your mom knows the tool reached for most often in your kitchen is a takeout menu for a card you would use, like Disney, where you will buy your weight in Dole Whips. Or you can just buy others’ cards at a discount. I checked a few sites to see if they were selling any Disney gift cards at a discount and didn’t see any right now.

Guy and Morgan still have money on their cards!

How Can I Check the Balance on My Disney Gift Card?

Most often, you will just see the balance remaining on your receipt after you make a purchase with the gift card. Cashiers at shops inside Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts can also check your balance for you without ringing up a sale. Disney claims you can check your balance at DisneyGiftCard.com, but every time I tried while writing this, the site encountered a database error. For a more analog experience, you can call 1-877-650-4327 to get your balance (obviously you’ll need the card in hand for this). And for checking on the go, you can install the Disney Gift Card app (IOS only). This app lets you track the balances of multiple Disney cards on your iPhone (though it can’t take the place of a physical card, nor can you use it to reload a card).

How Can I Reload My Disney Gift Card?

Unfortunately, reloading your Disney gift card is not as easy as reloading other gift cards. You have two choices – do it in person at a Disney location that sells cards or do it over the phone. To reload your card over the phone, call 1-800-362-4533 option 5 then option 2 (this is not the customer service phone number on the back of the card – it’s actually Disneyland Resort Merchandise Services a.k.a. DelivEARS). While you can load more than one card per call, there is a $50/day limit on how much you can add at a time. However, when I wanted to add $200 to one of our researcher’s cards, Disney did say they could do it in four transactions over the span of four days. It’s a little clumsy, but it does the trick. They will also load more than one card per call.

Other Questions about Disney Gift Cards

How should I protect my card?

Like a ticket, you should take a photo of the back of the card, so you’ll have the number in case it’s lost or stolen.

How much money can I put on a Disney gift card?

When you purchase through DisneyStore.com or DisneyGiftCard.com, you can buy $25, $50, $75, $100, $125, $150, $200, $300, or $500 cards. You can reload up to $1000. Cards not purchased through Disney (like at Target) are in set denominations usually of $25 or $50. When you purchase gift cards at a POS station like a resort merchandise shop, you can choose any amount you wish.

I’ve been stockpiling Disney gift cards for my upcoming vacation – isn’t my travel agent going to get mad when I pay in denominations of $25 and $50?

We asked our travel agent friends, and they said this happens all the time, so don’t sweat it.

I’ve paid for my trip with a bunch of Disney gift cards, now what?

Hold onto them! If you need to cancel your reservation for any reason, Disney will put the money back onto the cards.

What is a Disney Rewards Card and how is it different from a Disney Gift Card?

A Disney Rewards Card is connected to the Disney Visa from Chase. It functions like a gift card. Each month you earn rewards based on how much you spend and have the option of either moving the money to your Rewards Card or putting it toward a statement credit for Disney- and travel-related purchased you’ve already made. If your Rewards card has money on it, you can use it pretty much anywhere you can use a Disney gift card.

Does a Disney Gift Card Expire or Have Monthly Fees if I Don’t Use It?

No.

Where can I find more answers about Disney gift cards?

There is an FAQ on DisneyGiftCard.com.

Do you use Disney gift cards to help save for your trips or to make things easier for you in the parks? Did we miss any tips? Talk about it in the comments.

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Magic Kingdom Newsworthy Notes – 4/29/14

By Rikki Niblett

A few minor news pieces have crept across my desk recently that have to do with the Magic Kingdom that are of interest to many. Here’s what you should know:

First, there’s a very large media event taking place this week, which means it is going to impact some areas of the parks. Here’s what will impacted:

May 1 - The following locations will close at 5 p.m. to park guests:

Gaston’s Tavern
Bonjour! Village Gifts
Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
Ariel’s Grotto
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Hundred Acre Goods
Storybook Treats




May 2 – There will be a delayed opening of Storybook Circus and parts of Tomorrowland:

Opening at 11 a.m.:

Dumbo the Flying Elephant
The Barnstormer
Pete’s Silly Sideshow
Big Top Souvenirs
Tomorrowland Speedway

Opening at 12:15 p.m.:

Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

I’ve mentioned before about how the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover and the Astro Orbiter will have refurbishments this summer. Those refurb dates have now been pushed back. The Tomorrowland Transit Authority will now be closed June 2 through August 4, reopening August 5. The Astro Orbiter will be closed from June 2 through September 19, reopening on September 20. In addition, the Liberty Square Riverboat will see its fall refurbishment from August 4-8, reopening on August 9.

Finally, in FastPass+ news (I know, throwing in something that’s not specifically only for the Magic Kingdom here), the kiosks found in the parks will now have the functionality to offer Spanish for guests. Additional language functionality is coming in the future.

 

 

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Epcot Wind Down: Your Questions Answered

By Daisy Lauren

Last week I reviewed my first experience at the Epcot After Hours Wind Down. (You can find it here.) While I was excited to share the event with you guys, everyone had lots of questions for me that I couldn’t answer at the time. This past weekend I set out to get the scoop. (And some yummy Moroccan food at Spice Road Table!)

Are kids allowed? At this time children are not allowed and the event is only for guests over 21 years of age. I spoke to a couple different cast members and neither had heard anything about a children or family events being added in the future.

Is it busy? This is one answer that changed dramatically week over week. Last weekend I was honestly concerned that this after hours party might get cancelled before the scheduled end date. There were only a few other guests sharing the restaurant with us and that just didn’t seem sustainable. Wow- what a difference a week makes! Spice Road Table was hoppin’ when we were there Saturday. It looked like every seat was taken in the dining room.

Are reservations required? They are not required but they are recommended. Seeing how busy it was this weekend I would be very sure to reserve your table if this experience is important to you.

Which Location? I’ve been to Tutto Gusto and Spice Road Table, and I very much preferred Spice Road Table. I thought the food was much more appropriate at this location and the service was impeccable. If you’d like to see the menu, Seth did a great review of Spice Road Table and La Cava del Tequila you can find here. We at TouringPlans haven’t tried Rose & Crown yet. Personally, I think Spice Road will remain my favorite but everyone will have to look at the reviews and choose their favorite!

What if I don’t drink? It doesn’t seem like a great plan is in place for non-drinkers. Everyone I spoke to said that the price is for the prix fixe menu. Of course, if you don’t drink a non-alcoholic beverage will be offered at no additional charge but there isn’t a discount for skipping the booze.

Can I order extra food? At Tutto Gusto the kitchen was closed but we were offered to order extra food items from their cold case. Last week, I spoke to a vegetarian gal leaving La Cava del Tequila who couldn’t even get chips and salsa. Cast members outside of Rose & Crown confirmed for me that their kitchen was closed leaving no food options. We were offered the entire menu at Spice Road Table! You can see the answer on this one varies wildly and I expect it will change once Epcot realizes people are hungry!

Are they kicking people out? So far, no. There was some concern from people that liked to stay late and stroll out that not having a wristband would end that tradition. From my two weekends it doesn’t seems like security is actively trying to clear the park anymore than they have in the past.

Will I be able to get back to my hotel? I spoke to security on my way out and he was very clear that transportation is available until the last guest leaves the park. It may not be traditional (A bus could go to a few resorts) but Disney will not leave you stranded.

Is it worth it? This will vary for everyone. For us it’s worth it to quietly leave the park and enjoy a nightcap. However, I would not shell out the extra cash on a night with Extra Magic Hours. There’s also the novelty of trying something new that’s only for a limited time. Remember the Pirate and Princess party? I think this will be similar. I don’t think the Epcot Wind Down will last but I can say I did it one day.

Did I answer your question? Is there something you’d like to know about the Epcot Wind Down? Please let me know in the comments below and as always thanks for reading and commenting!

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Spring Break at Disney World – Teens’ First No-Parent Trip

By Erin Foster

Back in 2001, when my husband and I were deciding whether to buy Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points, one of the possible benefits we discussed was that our daughters would be able to use our DVC membership to have a safe place to go for spring break when they were older. At the time, our daughters were ages one and four, so talking about spring break solo vacations was akin to talking about dairy farming on the moon with George Clooney, the concept was equally as abstract and far fetched.

Now fast forward to 2014 and that ex-four-year-old, Charlie, is now a high school senior, ready to graduate in just a few weeks. (Someone pass the tissues, please.) As it turned out, our pie-in-the-sky rationalization for the DVC purchase ended up being a wonderful use of our points. Here’s how it all worked out.

Why Disney For A Spring Break Trip?

Every community has a different norm for what is and isn’t acceptable protocol for senior spring break. Some communities treat this no differently than any other school vacation – kids travel with families or stay home to relax or work. Other communities have a tradition where groups of seniors travel to far off destinations (usually where the drinking age is a minimally-enforced 18) with little or no adult supervision. And of course, there are a range options within the continuum.

When polling other parents in my town, I learned that there are typically many groups of high school seniors each year who use spring break as a chance to visit Caribbean islands on their own.

I personally was uncomfortable with that level of unsupervised activity. While I do have great trust in my daughter (I would not have sent her anywhere on her own if I did not), the easy access to alcohol near un-lifeguarded ocean water on an island trip seemed an order of magnitude more risky than I was ready for. And frankly, I think Charlie was fairly intimidated by that scenario as well. She jumped at the chance when I said that we would gift her with DVC points so that she could host a group of friends at Disney World.

Additional selling points were that Magical Express and the Disney bus/boat/monorail system made driving unnecessary and, of course, that it’s Disney, with near countless ways for teens to have safe fun.

Moreover, because of my activity in the Disney community, I happen to have a number of adult friends in the Orlando area who could be called to step in during a true emergency. This gave me a extra measure of comfort. That level of security will not be the case with most potential teen travelers; however, given that it’s spring break, the odds of a neighbor or friend being at Walt Disney World or in Central Florida may be high. Just because Mom and Dad aren’t there, that doesn’t mean that all known adults are far away.

Choosing Companions

As we began the rudiments of planning this trip, Charlie’s travel group fluctuated a bit. As various friends’ family and sports commitments changed, the final group ended up just being Charlie and two close friends, A and G.

This triumvirate ended up being the perfect group for a number of reasons.

All three girls are well traveled in general. They had all flown numerous times and were used to things like TSA, delays, etc.
The girls were familiar with each other’s sleep and travel habits. In addition to having had many previous sleepovers at home, they had actually stayed in hotels together a few times before as part of school-related extracurricular activity travel.
They had a level of trust with each other that none of them would try to buck the system or break rules.
They all had tools that could help them problem solve on the fly: cell phones, ATM and credit cards, insurance IDs, etc.
Charlie’s friends were willing to follow her lead on the trip planning.

Overall, the choice of companions for a teen spring break has much in common with choosing companions for any group or blended family trip. For example, is everyone mature enough to get along, even under stress? Do you all have the same vacation goals? Can everyone communicate what they need?

Disney Experience

Being my daughter, Charlie has been to Disney World more times than we can count. She knows her way around the parks. And she is extremely familiar with the protocols of good Disney travel, namely: plan ahead and show up early. She’s a teen, so she’s never thrilled to wake up early, but she does completely understand the value of getting to the park for rope drop.

Neither A nor G had been to any Disney park since they were preschoolers; they had no practicable experience about what they would do or see during the trip. They needed to let go and have a measure of trust that the “expert” knew what to do. For some groups, this might have posed a problem. If Charlie had been adverse to taking a leadership role in the planning, if the other girls had been resentful of Charlie’s direction, or if the other girls had been non-compliant with the plans, then things could have gone very wrong, very quickly.

Well before the trip, I sat down with all three girls and explained the need for planning things like meal reservations, activities, and park visit times, particularly during a busy vacation week. A and G clearly “got it” and were grateful to acquiesce their measure of control to a Disney veteran.

Practical Matters

As it turned out, one of the key factors that made the trip work was that one of Charlie’s buddies, A, is a few months older than she is. The trip took place in April, but Charlie’s birthday is during the summer. This meant that she was 17 years old during the trip.

Disney requires that the primary guest on any hotel reservation be at least 18 years of age at the time of check-in. A group of 17-year-olds would not be able to check in on their own. (Just to clarify, the rules are slightly different when it’s something like a school group or sports team traveling with adult chaperones. In that case, there are responsible adults present, but they don’t have to be resident in each room.)

Charlie’s status as minor during the intended travel dates meant that we could not make a hotel reservation in her name. As it turned out, her companion A’s birthday is in March, just weeks before spring break. Even though she was barely 18, this age of majority meant that A could be the lead on the room reservation. My family’s DVC points were used as payment, but we had to make the reservation through DVC (over the phone) in A’s name, with Charlie and G as the secondary guests. Without an 18 year old in the group, the trip would not have been possible. (G’s 18th birthday occurred during the trip, which made for great fun, but was of little use for planning/reservation purposes.)

We made the room reservation when all three girls were 17, but this component of the trip was fine because one would be 18 at check-in. Nary a glitch happened with the hotel.

We had more problems making meal reservations for the girls. The Disney reservations websites will not allow anyone to make reservations who is not already 18. As any good Disney planner knows, table service restaurant reservations can be made up to 180 days in advance, and many SHOULD be made 180 days in advance. All three girls were firmly in the land of 17 this far before the trip and every time they tried to make meal reservations on their own, the system froze. Because of this, I ended up making their meal reservations on my own DisneyWorld.com account, using my name and my credit card to secure the reservation. We did end up changing this at a later point (more on that in a sec) but as a practical matter, once you’re at Walt Disney World, the restaurants themselves don’t really care what name is on a meal reservation as long as someone shows up at the appointed time.

By far the most complicated part of the pre-trip planning ended up being getting FastPass+ reservations for the girls. While making their meal reservations in my name posed little problem, FastPass+ reservations had to be in the girls’ names so that they could be linked to their accounts, MagicBands, etc. They were traveling during a crowded week and wanted to ride all the headliner attractions (ideally several times), so FP+ use was an imperative. Making FP+ reservations as far in advance as possible was a potential key to getting the reservation times they wanted. But while they could theoretically make reservations 60 days in ahead (because they were staying on site), since A didn’t turn 18 until about 20 days before the trip, the DisneyWorld.com computer system would not let them in at the 60 day mark.

After much frustration, Charlie got on the phone with Disney. She was fortunate to find a sympathetic cast member in tech support who understood the problem and was determined to help her fix it. The workaround that the CM devised was to simply “age up” the girls in the MyMagic+ computer system. Instead of being 17, they all magically became 18 and, voila, they could now make FP+ reservations. We had concerns that this would somehow mess up the room reservation, but apparently these two systems have no bearing on each other. The helpful CM also took the meal reservation confirmation numbers and transferred them to Charlie’s own MyMagic+ account.

For any guest who is contemplating a trip similar to this, I strongly suggest that you make the hotel reservation over the phone using accurate birthday information. Then set up a DisneyWorld.com account for the travelers in which everyone is 18, regardless of their actual age. You can then link resort and park admission ticket confirmation numbers, allowing the teens full access to the meal and FP+ reservation systems.

Who Pays for What

As I mentioned, my family offered to provide the room for the girls. We also treated the girls to a dinner at Victoria & Albert’s as a graduation gift. This was our choice and we were happy to do this.

All other expenses were split evenly. Each girl purchased her own park ticket and airline ticket (on the same flight). While in the parks, the girls used their own funds to buy souvenirs (no co-mingling of MagicBand purchases) and they always asked in advance for separate checks at restaurants. The one exception to the separate checks rule was the V&As meal. Several days prior to this visit, my husband called the restaurant directly and spoke with a manager. He left his credit card number on file with instructions to add a 20% tip. The girls never saw a bill for their graduation gift dinner.

Other groups might devise other payment arrangements, but pre-travel communication on this front is key to avoiding confusion and mid-trip squabbles.

Pre-trip Refresher Information

Just prior to the trip, I sat down with Charlie and reviewed most of the trip details. She had a terrific handle on how to navigate the parks and the Disney transportation system, but I did need to review some of the more macro travel procedures. I made sure that she had the My Disney Experience and JetBlue (their airline) apps on her phone. We tripled checked that she had copies of all tickets and reservation numbers in several places.

I also reviewed Magical Express procedures with Charlie. She had been on ME several times before, but had never been the point person paying attention to the ME desk location at Orlando International. I also reviewed what the ME pick-up procedures would be on the return end, as well as the process for using the Resort Airline Check-In and how to ask bell services to hold carry on bags during the girls’ last day at the parks.

During the Trip

I obviously wasn’t with the girls during their trip, but I did check in with them via phone or text a few times each day. I’m thrilled to say that the trip went off without a hitch.

Check-in at the hotel was seamless. Charlie’s friend A (the 18 year old) had to show her driver’s license as ID during check-in, as is standard procedure for all guests, but no one questioned the youth of the group or made any mention of their presence as a cause for concern. Charlie said that the only time during their five-day visit that anyone asked them about their age was when they used Resort Airline Check-In to have their bags sent to the airport. I believe that this was more of a routine airline question than any concern on the part of Disney.

The girls showed up to all of their meal reservations on time. They visited all four parks, some more than once. They hit all the headliner rides, some more than once. They took photos with Mickey and the princesses. They charmed a PhotoPass photographer into an extended photo shoot. They got G some “grey stuff” at Be Our Guest on her birthday. They were selected to be the guest volunteers at the Hollywood Studios Backlot Tour. They napped at the pool in the afternoon. They modified FastPass+ reservations on the fly in the parks. And they ate, and ate, and ate at V&A’s. The girls all had a fantastic time.

In short, it was an uneventful trip to Disney World – which I mean in the best possible way.

Would you send your older teens to Disney World unchaperoned? When was your first trip to Disney World without your parents? What kinds of concerns would you have had about such a trip? Let us know in the comments below.

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