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Frozen’s Anna and Elsa Moving To Magic Kingdom

By Rikki Niblett

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Yay! No more standing out in the blazing sun at the Norway Pavilion!

With lines commonly running from two to three hours, even seeing as long as five hour waits, Disney has decided to move Anna and Elsa from Frozen out of the Norway Pavilion in Epcot over to the Magic Kingdom to meet with guests.

The sisters will be relocated to the Princess Fairytale Hall in Fantasyland starting on April 20. This means that guests will also be able to make FastPass+ reservations to meet the sisters. (Keep in mind, this will likely be the hottest ticket in town. FastPass+ reservations are going to go extremely quick for the opportunity to meet these two.)

With this change, Cinderella and Rapunzel will continue to greet guests at Princess Fairytale Hall. (And if rumors are correct, these two will likely be greeting guests together now. Anna and Elsa will likely be greeting with a visiting Princess. These are just rumors, as of now.)

Also, keep in mind that Anna and Elsa’s meet and greet opportunity will last only until the early evening. After that time, other visiting Disney Princesses will be available to greet guests.

I could see this change coming from a mile away. The Norway Pavilion has become crazy crowded since this meet and greet opened up. With summer rapidly approaching, and with the lines being as long as we’ve seen, I’m not surprised that Disney wanted to find an indoor location for people to wait to meet these two. I visited the pavilion on my most recent trip in February twice, at two different times of the day (early afternoon and early evening), and the area was just packed.

Guests who just want to see the sisters can now catch the two, plus Olaf, on the back on the Princess Garden float during the brand new Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade. Guests may continuing experiencing the Frozen gallery (called Norsk Kultur) inside the Stave Church at the Norway Pavilion. The artifacts found in the exhibit influenced the making of the movie.

I’ll be sure to keep you posted on more details about the popular Frozen meet and greet!

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10 Good Terms to Know for Your Disney Cruise

By Tammy Whiting

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A vacation on Disney Cruise Line (DCL) can be a whole new language lesson! If you’ve never been on a cruise, there are so many new terms! If you’ve never cruised with Disney in particular, Disney even has a few of its own to throw at you. Have you ever sat in a room full of military people who keep throwing around acronyms like they’re part of the common English language and everyone knows what they are, and you feel like you shouldn’t interrupt the story to say you don’t know what the heck they’re talking about? No? Just me? Okay, well try to imagine that situation, because it can be a little bit like that! While there’s not enough room to list all the new terms you will encounter onboard a Disney ship in this blog post, here are some of the more common ones!

1. It’s a Stateroom Not a Cabin, a Ship Not a Boat, and a Deck Not a Floor – There are a few terms associated with a cruise that should be pretty obvious, but they’re not! You don’t go up to the tenth floor to get some pizza as a pre-dinner snack. You go to deck 10! If Brent has ever been your cruise director, he will remind you (in an awesome Australian accent by the way) that you are NOT on a boat. You are on a beautiful ship. A boat is the little tiny thing that pulls up next to the ship and guides it out of the ports. Unlike most other cruise lines, Disney also does not refer to their rooms as cabins. They are staterooms! Disney does not want you thinking of a tiny little cabin when you are talking about the rooms onboard. Doesn’t stateroom just sound more spacious and upscale? See what they did there?

2. Key to the World Card – This is most definitely a Disney term! In English, your Key to the World card is your stateroom key. Not just any room key though, it is also your method to charge things onboard, it has your dining rotation on it, it tells you what muster station to report to for the lifeboat drill, the onboard photographs taken by the crew’s professional photographers are linked to it, and you’ll need it to get on and off the ship in the various ports of call.

3. Bow/Forward, Stern/Aft, Starboard, and Port – These six words are pretty common terms on a ship, and you’re going to hear them a lot when you’re onboard. You may even hear them when you’re picking your stateroom! Why do you care what starboard is for instance? Well you want to be starboard if you want a gorgeous view of Castaway Cay while docked there. Starboard is the right side of the ship (defined as the right side when you are facing forward toward the front of the ship). Port is the left side of the ship (everyone has a funny little way to remember which side is port, mine is that both the word “port” and the word “left” have four letters!). Bow is the front of the ship, and aft is the back of the ship! And, if you need to go to the front of the ship, toward the bow, the ship’s crew will direct you to go “forward.” Similarly, if you need to go toward the stern of the ship, you will be directed to head “aft.” It’s not like they’ll kick you off the ship if you don’t have these down when you board, but they’re handy to know.

4. Personal Navigator – A Personal Navigator is basically a list of all of a day’s activities while onboard a Disney cruise ship. What show is playing, information on the next day’s port, what’s happening in the kid’s clubs, movies, classes, sports, etc. It covers at least four sides of paper because there’s a lot to do every day! A paper copy of the Navigator shows up in your room every night when your room is turned down. In addition, Disney’s Personal Navigators have just come into the digital age and now there is a digital version for Androids and iPhones! Just download the free app and use it to your heart’s content onboard (you don’t even have to pay for the Wi-Fi that dynamically updates the apps, but you also can’t surf the web on that free Wi-Fi). We really enjoyed using the digital version, the biggest benefit to us being able to check the future activities and not just the current day’s events. It was much easier to plan our week. Whichever version you choose, the Personal Navigator is invaluable. I did read a funny story on the message boards once about someone who heard there would be a “personal navigator” in her room every night and thought an actual person was showing up at their stateroom every night to help them “navigate” the next day’s activities. She couldn’t figure out where they were the first night! The Personal Navigator is wonderful. Maybe not as wonderful as an actual person showing up to your room to help, but maybe more practical.

5. Rotational Dining – Disney pioneered the concept of rotational dining. Traditional cruise ships have a huge dining room capable of accommodating at least half of the passengers onboard at once. Disney ships have three main dining rooms onboard which the diners will rotate through on a set rotation throughout their cruise. It’s great to have a different themed restaurant to enjoy each night, but the real genius here is that your serving team rotates with you. So, while enjoying a new experience every night, you are still getting to know (and love) your wonderful servers.

6. Tendering – Some ports require tendering. Tendering means your cruise ship will anchor offshore and smaller tender boats will transport guests from the ship to shore. Pulling up to a dock where passengers can freely walk on and off is obviously the more preferred method, but sometimes ship size, or the number of ships in a port, prevent that. Tendering can be quite the time sink, especially when your ship is only scheduled to be in a specific port for a few hours, but unfortunately it’s unavoidable sometimes.

7. Transfers – Transfers are the official way to get to the port. Unlike Disney Magical Express transfers from the Orlando airport to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line transfers are not free. Costs vary if you are sailing from somewhere other than Port Canaveral, but in Orlando they are $70 per person round-trip, children under 3 are free. DCL’s Orlando transfers will either go between the airport and the port or Walt Disney World and the port (just let DCL know which one you need). In other ports the transfers go between the airport and port, or hotels booked through Disney.

8. GTY – Usually when you book your cruise you will be able to choose a specific stateroom number. When a category starts to fill up, it goes into GTY status. That means you won’t be able to pick a stateroom number in that category and you’ll need to change categories if in fact you do want to pick one. Cruise lines like to have some flexibility to move people around for those last few rooms so they choose where the guests end up. They won’t move guests down a category, and you’ll usually be kept in the same category, but there is always the possibility they will move guests up in categories as well.

9. IGT, OGT and VGT – IGT (inside guarantee), OGT (oceanview guarantee) and VGT (verandah guarantee) are last minute restricted discount fares on sailings. When you book these non-refundable rates you pick a type of room, not a specific category or room. You choose whether you would like an inside room, oceanview room or verandah room. I answered some common questions about these in a previous blog post.

10. Castaway Club – Castaway Club is the best term of all because it means you have already been on a Disney cruise! Once you’ve been on a Disney cruise of any length, you become a member of the Castaway Club. This highly sought after club has three levels. You become a silver member once you have sailed one time. Gold members have sailed more than 5 times. Platinum members have sailed more than 10 times. Each level has more benefits, but every level will get a welcome gift in their stateroom every time they sail. I’m telling you, it’s the best club to be a member of!

What terms did I forget? Are there any others that confused you at first? Or still do?

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PotterWatch: New Hogwarts Express Details Released

By Seth Kubersky

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Exciting new Hogwarts Express details revealed by Universal Orlando.

As even the most unobservant Muggle probably already knows, Universal Orlando is opening a major expansion of their hit Wizarding World of Harry Potter attractions this summer, and one of the most anticipated elements of the additions is the new Hogwarts Express train, which will link the existing Hogsmeade Village in Islands of Adventure with the new Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Florida. Today, Friday March 14, Universal is releasing new Hogwarts Express details, and thanks to Touring Plans’ friend Jim Hill we are happy to be among the first to bring you the news, including some details you won’t find in the official press release.

Here are some exciting new officially confirmed facts about the upcoming Hogwarts Express attraction:

Guests traveling from London will go through King’s Cross Station just like Harry did in the books and films. An optical illusion/magic trick that will make it appear as though people ahead of you in line are actually passing through the wall.
There will be no height requirement to ride the Hogwarts Express.
After stepping onto Platform 9 3/4, guests will see the Hogwarts Express billowing steam, luggage carts, and owls in cages.
Riders traveling from Universal Studios Florida to Islands of Adventure will encounter Dementors, and see Hagrid flying on his motorbike through the train’s “window”.
Riders traveling in the opposite direction will also see Hagrid, along with Buckbeak the Hippogriff, the Knight Bus, and the Weasley twins, who will create a fireworks display for you.
The actual train ride will be about six minutes long.
Exact hourly capacity has not yet been determined, but each of the two trains will carry an number of guests “comparable” to other Universal attractions.
Each cabin on the train holds “about 8 people” and is separated from other cabins by closing doors, and every guest will “take a seat.”
The creative team did research in London to ensure that the train whistles, cabin fabric, and even metal bolts are all authentic.
The existing Hogwarts Express locomotive in Hogsmeade will remain as a photo op.
Guests on board the trains will not see anything from the theme parks, only the virtual British countryside.
Guests must purchase a park-to-park ticket in order to ride the Hogwarts Express. There will be a way to upgrade your ticket at the attraction.
All guests must exit the train at its destination and queue again if they wish to return. You will not be allowed to remain on board for round-trip transit.
Guests will exit the train outside of Hogsmeade or into the London Waterfront area. All guests wishing to enter Diagon Alley must pass through the “magical” brick wall near the Leaky Cauldron; there is no direct access from the train station to Diagon Alley.

 

Finally, here are a few things we still don’t know about the Hogwarts Express after today’s announcements:

No confirmation if the train windows will use a revolutionary form of glasses-free 3-D; a depth-enhanced 2-D projection like the windows in Epcot’s Mission SPACE; or a simple flat screen.
No confirmation that Hogwarts Express will operate during early entry hours, though a hotel reservations employee recently informed us that it would.
No mention of the 400+ randomized combinations of experiences during the train ride, as had been rumored previously. Also no mention of different visuals during daytime versus after dark. All new information points to one experience in each direction.
And of course, still no announced opening date more specific than “summer.”

Interestingly, Universal made this announcement in advance to invited press in London, New York, and Sao Paulo, Brazil, citing Latin America as their #2 foreign market behind the UK. That indicates that they are looking to make a global marketing splash with these new Hogwarts Express details, not to mention the Diagon Alley opening festivities still to come.

 

 

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New Disney Dish Podcast: Hogwarts Express Details

By Len Testa

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Earlier this week, Jim Hill got a sneak peek at the film that’ll play when guests board Universal’s Hogwarts Express later this year, and other exclusive details on the train’s construction..

Listen to Jim talk about the film, the effects, and how much detail is going into building the train and King’s Cross station.

Download: MP3 / iTunes (coming soon)

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PotterWatch: Zonko’s Closed, London Waterfront Walls, & Hogwarts Express Details on Friday

By Seth Kubersky

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Zonko’s Closed and more Wizarding World news in this week’s PotterWatch (photos by Seth Kubersky)

In this week’s edition of PotterWatch, we head into the original Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando‘s Islands of Adventure on the day before Zonko’s closed, then check out the new construction walls along the London Waterfront in Universal Studios Florida. Finally, we’ll tell you when you can hear fresh details about the Hogwarts Express, and share new information on early entry for Universal Orlando resort hotel guests.

Zonko’s Closed

For the first time, a significant component of Hogsmeade Village has disappeared. Zonko’s Joke Shop, one of the original shops at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, permanently closed its doors this week. It will reopen in the coming months as an extension of the adjoining Honeydukes candy shop, which is usually overcrowded.

 

 

Much of the decor and merchandise from Zonko’s will be transferred over to Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, a similar but larger establishment being built inside Diagon Alley. Some items which were previously only decoration, like the nose biting teacups, will actually be available for purchase in the new store.

 

I do fear that some of the non-Potter-themed retro toys that didn’t sell strongly (like the liliputian robot and “duck on bike”) will no longer be stocked.

 

 

These shots of Zonko’s were all taken on Monday, March 10, the shop’s final day of operation. We’ll let you know when we hear of a reopening date.

 

 

And here’s what Zonko’s looks like now that it’s closed:

Lost Continent Entrance Reopens

During our last visit, the gateway from Lost Continent to Hogsmeade Village was closed off by construction walls, in the wake of the demolition of that area’s carnival games. The pathway has now reopened, giving us a closer look at progess on the construction of the future Hogwarts Express Hogsmeade Station.

 

 

London Waterfront Construction Walls

Shortly after the photos were taken for our last PotterWatch, Universal removed the peep windows that allowed us to follow progress on the London Waterfront facade that fronts Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Florida.

 

 

Days later, they installed new, more constrictive construction walls along the walkway between Fear Factor Live and Disaster!

 

 

These new walls should allow construction crews to install decorative touches seen in concept art like stone lions’ heads and streetlamps along the waterfront. Despite the new walls can still see some new details being applied to the London Waterfront facade:

 

The King’s Cross signage finally has all its letters.

Windows being installed in the Wyndham’s Theatre facade.

 

On the northern end of the project, we can now see piles of dirt covered in plastic. This should eventually become a wooded berm that blocks views of Diagon Alley’s backstage areas.

 

 

Hogwarts Express Details Coming Friday

Universal sent notice to the press of an event this Friday, March 14, which will reveal new details about the Hogwarts Express. The iconic railroad will connect the new Diagon Alley with the original Hogsmeade Village, creating a unified Wizard World experience for guests with park-to-park passes.

Here’s a video teasing Friday’s announcement:

We’ll have a full report on the unveiling on Friday.

 

New Early Entry Information

Until now, we’ve been acting under the assumption that Universal on-site resort guests would be allowed early entry into ONE of the two parks each day to experience the Wizarding World of Harry Potter without crowds of day guests. This was based on fine print found on Universal’s new Wizarding World website, which you can see here:

 

 

However, last week I was informed by a Universal Orlando Resort hotel reservation agent that guests will have early entry into BOTH parks each day. Further, I was informed that the Hogwarts Express attraction WILL be available during early entry, which is contrary to previous reports.

None of this information is officially confirmed in written form, and may still be in flux. Hopefully a more definitive policy will be publicly announced before the Wizarding World expansion opens this summer.

 

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Crowd Calendar Update – July 4, Late Fall & Early 2015

By Fred Hazelton

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Today we are publishing an update to our Walt Disney World Crowd Calendar. These updates are in reaction to changes to park hours, FastPass+, and improvements to our attraction wait time models.

The majority of days on the calendar remain unchanged or adjusted by one index level (up or down). We consider these changes to be minor – no need to adjust your travel plans. In some cases the new number is an adjustment of two index levels (up or down). Even then, it may not be worth it to alter your plans, especially if you already made dining reservations in a particular park.

The more significant changes are as follows:

For July 4, 2014, we increased the resort-wide crowd level back up to a ’9′
Some park-level increases around dates in late October and early November 2014
Bumps in crowd levels at Magic Kingdom during late July and Christmas 2014
Higher levels at Disney’s Hollywood Studios during mid-April and late May
Some changes to resort-wide numbers in early 2015

As always, we stress that the use of a touring plan is the single best way to beat the crowds, no matter how crowded it is. Use the calendar to pick between two dates or to choose which park to visit on a particular day. The crowd calendar is subject to change, and the estimates are accurate within 2 index points 95% of the time.

For more information n what to do if the calendar has changes during your travel dates, check out our Crowd Calendar FAQ

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Where to Find Dogs at Disney World

By Erin Foster

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If your kids are like mine, from time to time they’ll latch on to a topic and become completely consumed by it. For some kids, it’s trains or dinosaurs, for others it’s pirates or monkeys. (At my house we had the year of the ring-tailed lemur). One of the more common childhood fixations is dogs. If your young ones are in dog obsession mode, here’s where they can get their fix.

The pirates REALLY want this dog to give them the key.

Character Meals and Meet & Greets

Disney has many films which feature dog characters, but only two of them can be reliably found in the parks on a regular basis: Goofy and Pluto. These two hounds appear at character meals, as well as in the parks.

For example, find Goofy at:

Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club, breakfast
Mickey’s Backyard BBQ at Fort Wilderness, seasonal dinner
Tusker House at the Animal Kingdom, breakfast and lunch
Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary, breakfast and dinner
Pete’s Silly Sideshow at Magic Kingdom (in Fantasyland’s Storybook Circus), check the free Times Guide for details
Character Spot at Epcot, check the free Times Guide for details
Near the Sorcerer Hat at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, check the free Times Guide for details
Appearances in many parades and stage shows.

Small World poodle.

Find Pluto at:

Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary, breakfast and lunch
Garden Grill at Epcot, dinner
‘Ohana at the Polynesian, breakfast
Near the Flagpole at the Magic Kingdom, check the free Times Guide for details
Near the Sorcerer Hat at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, check the free Times Guide for details
Appearances in many parades and stage shows.

When Disney releases new animated films, typically the key characters from the new release will appear at a special, limited time meet & greet. In somewhat recent memory, characters including the dog Bolt (from Bolt) and Dug (from Up) have appeared at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If a new dog-centric film appears, look for additional meet & greet opportunities to appear.

Topiary Lady & the Tramp

Additionally, some folks consider the Stitch character to be an alien dog. I’m not personally in this camp (to me, once an alien, always an alien), but if your child is in a “Stitch is a dog” phase, know that you can find him at:

‘Ohana at the Polynesian, breakfast
Near the central DVC sales booth at Animal Kingdom, check the free Times Guide for details
In Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom, check the free Times Guide for details
Near the park entrance at Epcot, check the free Times Guide for details

Hotel Themeing

A true dog obsessive will want to stay in the 101 Dalmatians area at the All-Star Movies Resort. You’ll find MUCH larger than life statues of Dalmatians Pongo and Perdita, which are perfect photo backdrops, as well as a smaller puppy statue and puppy illustrations running across the hotel walkway railings.

You’ll also find giant Lady and the Tramp statues at the 50s section of the Pop Century Resort. Those are some BIG dogs.

Your Spaceship Earth future might include a pet dog.

Restaurant Themeing

Tony’s Town Square in the Magic Kingdom takes its themeing cues from the dog-centric film Lady and the Tramp. Look for a lovely statue of the eponymous pups in the center of the room, as well as illustrations from the movie on several of the walls. If you order dessert, you may find that your plate bears a picture of Lady and the Tramp, rendered in chocolate.

Typically, the Lady and the Tramp movie will run on a continuous loop in the lobby area of the restaurant with several comfy couches nearby. This is a great place for a dog lover to rest in air conditioned comfort, even if you’re not dining at the restaurant.

Attraction Elements

Many of the Walt Disney World attractions feature at least one dog in their pre-show or show area. A dog fanatic child might love a scavenger hunt of sorts to find all the dogs that are part of rides at the parks. Look for the following dogs:

Big Lady at the Pop Century resort.

The Barnstormer, Magic Kingdom. Goofy imagery throughout.
Peter Pan’s Flight, Magic Kingdom. The Darling family dog, Nana, appears near the beginning of the ride.
Jungle Cruise, Magic Kingdom. Not really dogs, but there are dog-like hyenas.
Pirates of the Caribbean, Magic Kingdom. A few dogs scattered in the village scenes. The most famous non-character dog is the one keeping keys away from the pirate prisoners.
Dumbo, Magic Kingdom. No dog, but there is a doghouse in the new interactive queue area. Climb inside!
Liberty Square Riverboat, Magic Kingdom. There’s a dog located in a fishing scene on the shore.
Haunted Mansion, Magic Kingdom. Ghostly night watchman with skeletal mutt. Others too.
“it’s a small world,” Magic Kingdom. Pink poodle in the France scene and another pup near a boy with a boomerang.
Stitch’s Great Escape, Magic Kingdom. Stitch throughout (if you consider him to be a dog).
Space Mountain, Magic Kingdom. Robot dog visible as you exit.
Carousel of Progress, Magic Kingdom. Faithful dog in every scene.
Spaceship Earth, Epcot. Some versions of “You in the Future” contain a dog pet.
Living with the Land, Epcot. Dog on a farm near the beginning.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Eric’s dog Max appears.
Disney Junior – Live on Stage, Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Goofy included in several scenes.
Toy Story Mania, Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Puppy illustrations on the Golden Books in the exit area.
Great Movie Ride, Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Toto appears in the Wizard of Oz scene. Lassie appears in the video montage. (Also Lassie’s paw prints are in the pavement outside.)

Dog Goofy rockin’ out at the Disney Junior attraction.

Oddly, I couldn’t recall any depictions of dogs at the Animal Kingdom. While of course there are animals aplenty at the AK, they trend heavily to non-domesticated species.

In addition to rides, you’ll also find Disney dogs depicted in topiary form if you visit Epcot during the annual spring Flower & Garden Festival.

Merchandise

Tee shirts, toys, figurines, and pins featuring Goofy and Pluto are found in nearly every Walt Disney World merchandise location. Keep an eye out on the racks of plush animals, you’ll often find stuffed representatives from the 101 Dalmatians and Lady and the Tramp films.

The LEGO Store at Downtown Disney has featured a life-sized LEGO dog walker. And the World Showcase country stores at Epcot often sell plush toy dogs that are not Disney character branded. For example, while merchandise stocks vary, you may find a stuffed German Shepherd in Germany or a corgi in the UK. And don’t forget that Goofy is the mascot of the Disney house-brand candy – Goofy’s Candy Company.

There a dog house in the Dumbo queue.

Food

There several locations in each of the theme parks that sell hot dogs. These are obviously not canines (ewwwwww), but the name fits the theme.

If You’re Visiting with Your Own Dog

Service dogs are welcome in almost all Disney resort and theme park situations. If you’re traveling with a non-service dog, you have three options: stay at pet-friendly off-site accommodations, stay in a pet-friendly loop at the Fort Wilderness resort and campgrounds, or board your animal at the Best Friends kennel on property. I’ve heard great reports about the care there.

So dog lovers, this was ruff, what did I miss? Should I have mentioned the “lab” in Journey to Imagination? Feel free to hound me in the comments below.

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Epcot Premieres New IllumiNations Sparkling Dessert Party

By Rikki Niblett

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Today Epcot introduced a brand new offering called the IllumiNations Sparkling Dessert Party.

Here, guests are able to partake in a complete selection of desserts and sparkling wines in a prime reserved location for viewing IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. The dessert party location is Showcase Plaza, which is along the water between the Friendship Boat docks nearest Future World, facing the American Adventure Pavilion. (This dessert party is similar to the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Party that’s currently being held in the Magic Kingdom.)

Dessert options include tiramisu from Italy, vanilla pot de crème from France, shortbread cookies from the United Kingdom, baklava from Morocco, sugar-dusted cronis (croissant doughnuts) with strawberry sauce from America, and a selection of delicious ice-cream treats.

The parties are available on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 7:45 p.m. until 9:20 p.m. Current pricing is around $50 for adults (ages 10 and up) and $30 for children (ages 3-9), and tax and gratuity are included. The first party is on Saturday, March 15.

Advanced Dining Reservations are recommended and can be made up to 180 days in advance. Guests looking to make reservations may do so online or by calling (407) WDW-DINE. Both Epcot park admission and the separately purchased Event Party Ticket are required to attend.

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Complete Guide to Universal Studios Mardi Gras 2014 UPDATED

By Seth Kubersky

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Universal Studios Mardi Gras Grand Celebration starts on Feb 8, 2014.

Today we tackle one of my favorite theme park topics: the annual Universal Studios Mardi Gras Grand Celebration. Universal Studios Mardi Gras holds a special place in my heart because, back in the late 1990s when I worked in Universal Studios Florida’s entertainment department, I was a talent supervisor for the parade, and got to walk with it nightly. (I’ll never get “Iko Iko” or “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” out of my skull.) So I’m thrilled to share Touring Plans’ complete guide to Universal’s bead laden bacchanalia, bringing you all the info you need to laissez les bons temps rouler!

[UPDATED 3/12/14: Scroll down for late-breaking news on the Mardi Gras extension and rescheduled Robin Thicke concert!]

Background

Mardi Gras originated in the religious observation of “Fat Tuesday” (the literal translation of the name), which is the day before “Ash Wednesday” on the Catholic calendar, and the start of Lent’s 40 days of dietary restrictions. People would bid “farewell to flesh” with a “carnivale” where they would indulge in the meat and drink they were about to forswear. Mardi Gras is the New Orleans, Louisiana, variation on this tradition — which is echoed in other cities from Venice, Italy to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Over the centuries, the religious significance has been stripped away, and most Mardi Gras revelers attend for strictly secular reasons — namely, epic quantities of booze, beads, and bare breasts. About 20 years ago, Universal took a look at the festivities and said, “This will make a fine family friendly event,” and amazingly it is — minus the bare breasts, of course. But that doesn’t mean it’s inauthentic; much as Universal partnered with Macy’s for its holiday parade, Universal engages Blaine Kern Studios, the same company that’s been building floats for the real deal since 1947, to create the park’s parade platforms. And musicians and recipes imported from the Big Easy add to the French Quarter feel. Of course, the real Bourbon Street doesn’t have concerts from big-name recording artists after each parade, much less a high-speed roller coaster cruising by in the background.

 

Universal Studios Mardi Gras Schedule

For 2014, the Universal Studios Mardi Gras celebration has expanded to epic proportions, running all the way from February 8 (a week before the New Orleans parades step off), and not ending until June 7, over three months after the actual Mardi Gras holiday. But don’t show up expecting the party on just any night in that range; there are only parades and concerts on the following select nights:

Friday Nights: March 14, 21, 28

Saturday Nights: February 8, 15, 22; March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; April 5, 12, 19; May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; June 7

Sunday Night: February 16

 

Admission

Unlike some other evening theme park events (like Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights or Disney’s Very Merry Christmas Party), every night of Mardi Gras is free! Well, not exactly free (TANSTAAFL), but at least included in any valid form of of admission, including all levels of annual passes — even Power Passes that would otherwise be blocked out during spring break (April 12 & 19). There are also Florida Resident discounts available, including a $69 online-only Mardi Gras ticket for admission after 5 p.m.

 

Mardi Gras Parade

The parade is naturally the centerpiece of the Mardi Gras party, and Universal’s version has all the color and crazy characters of the original (only much more compact). Floats are updated every year with new themes, and the inspiration for 2014′s additions is Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel Around the World in 80 Days. But you can always count on the massive “King Gator” float making, along with other favorites like the multi-story Riverboat, to roll down Universal’s boulevards. The floats are each accompanied by dozens of strolling performers and stilt walkers, while costumed revelers ride upon them tossing colorful plastic beads to the crowds below.

 

Here’s a complete video of the 2013 Mardi Gras parade:

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And here is the 2014 Mardi Gras parade. It was shot on a rainy opening night, which explains the lack of stilt walkers:

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This year’s parade steps off from the Esoteric gate near the Horror Makeup Show, circles counter-clockwise past Music Plaza Stage, and exits the park through the same gate it entered:

The parade lasts around 25 minutes; before daylight savings begins it typically starts around 7:15 p.m., and at 8:15 p.m. after the clocks spring forward. Times may vary with operating hours, so check the park map for details. You can find good viewing anywhere along the parade route, and unless you insist on standing right up front, there’s no need to save your spot more than 10 or 15 minutes in advance.

Special reserved viewing areas are also available for Annual Passholders (near Mel’s Drive-In), American Express cardholders (near Finnegan’s), guests with disabilities (near Macy’s in New York), and young “Lil’ Jesters” and their families (near Terminator 2: 3-D).

If you really want to get in on the action, it’s possible to volunteer as a bead-tossing float rider. Annual Passholders can sign up for themselves and a guest online; you must RSVP at least one week in advance. American Express Cardholders who purchased their tickets with an AmEx can sign up to ride 90 minutes before each parade in KidZone. All riders must be at least 18 years old (or accompanied by an adult) and 48″ tall; space is limited and availability is not guaranteed.

 

Mardi Gras Concerts

Every event night, after the parade concludes (approximately 45 minutes after step off), a big-name concert kicks off on Music Plaza Stage underneath the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster.

Lifehouse opening the 2013 Universal Studios Mardi Gras concert series.

Here’s the 2014 Universal Studios Mardi Gras Concert lineup:

FEB 8 DAUGHTRY

FEB 15 BARENAKED LADIES

FEB 16 THOMAS RHETT

FEB 22 ROBIN THICKE (Rescheduled to June 7)

MAR 1 COLLECTIVE SOUL

MAR 8 PRINCE ROYCE

MAR 14 CODY SIMPSON

MAR 15 FOREIGNER

MAR 21 A GREAT BIG WORLD

MAR 22 GAVIN DEGRAW

MAR 28 KELLY ROWLAND

MAR 29 WEEZER

APR 5 SKILLET

APR 12 LYNYRD SKYNYRD

APR 19 KOOL & THE GANG

MAY 3 NELLY

MAY 10 THE WANTED

MAY 17 THE ROOTS

MAY 24 CHER LLOYD

MAY 31 HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS

JUNE 7 ROBIN THICKE (Rescheduled)

The concerts are standing-room only and first-come/first-served; crowds can be enormous, and folks sometimes start lining up shortly after park opening for the hottest acts. There is no extra-cost VIP area available, but there is an ADA accessible viewing section near the TWISTER restrooms. Large video screens broadcast the stage to those standing in the far back, so consider watching from the New York Battery Park area if you aren’t an uber-fan of the artist. And after the concert concludes, the Universal Cinematic Spectacular show lights up the central lagoon (approximately 10:00 p.m., see park map for details).

 

French Quarter Food and Fun

Chef Steve Jayson and his culinary team pride themselves on the authentic N’awlins flavors they bring to the French Quarter Courtyard, an area of temporary food and beverage booths set up in New York that opens at 4:00 p.m. each Mardi Gras event night.

Here’s a video interview from last year with Chef Jayson explaining his creole and Cajun culinary creations, which include jambalaya, gumbo, and beignets:

 

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You can eat to the beat and enjoy live blues and zydeco musicians direct from Louisiana on the French Quarter stage. Universal started this tradition a decade ago to support New Orleans artists in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. This year’s lineup is as follows:

FEB 8 REMEDY KREWE

FEB 15-16 SOUL PROJECT

FEB 22 ROCKIN’ JAKE

MAR 1 BIG AL & THE HEAVYWEIGHTS

MAR 8 DADDY MACK BLUES BAND

MAR 14-15 MISSISSIPPI RAIL COMPANY

MAR 21-22 THE BIG EASY PLAYBOYS

MAR 28-29 DIRTY BOURBON RIVER SHOW

APR 5 JOHN LISI AND DELT FUNK

APR 12 BETH MCKEE & THE SLIDERS

APR 19 GRAVY MAY 3CHRIS O’LEARY

MAY 10 T BIRD & THE BREAKS

MAY 17 GRADY CHAMPION

MAY 24 CHA WA

MAY 31 NAUGHTY PROFESSOR

 

CityWalk After Party

If you don’t want to stop the fun after the park shuts down, CityWalk’s seven clubs offer free admission to all park ticket-holders (including annual Passholders) after every Mardi Gras concert.

 

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The Relative Cost of a Disney World Park Ticket

By Erin Foster

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You’ve probably heard by now that Disney recently raised the price of one-day adult admission to the Magic Kingdom to a whopping $99. Add in the tax and that puts the ticket price inarguably over the $100 mark. My first reaction to this, and likely yours as well, was, “OUCH! That’s a hefty chunk of change.” And yes, $100+ dollars is a significant sum, but I’m here to perhaps put this all in a bit of perspective.

Were villains at work on the price increase?

When I was fresh out of college (back in the dark ages, aka 1987), I did a lot of mental calculation about whether various entertainment options made financial sense. The benchmark I used was the price of a movie ticket, which was at the time about $4.00. For $4.00 I could get two hours of entertainment. Thus, using my Movie Ticket Metric, I valued entertainment at $2.00 per hour. ($4.00 price divided by two hours.) Entertainment that cost less than $2.00 per hour was, to me at the time, a good value and usually a no-brainer purchase. Entertainment that cost more than $2.00 per hour merited serious thought and consideration before buying.

With this methodology, purchasing a book for $5.00 was a relative bargain, because I could get perhaps 10 hours of reading enjoyment from this, giving me an entertainment cost of $.50 per hour. (Forget for a moment that I could have borrowed the book for free from the library. Those were my English major book-hoarder days.)

Conversely, a ticket to a Genesis concert (I am sooo old) ran $18.00 for about a three hour show. This form of entertainment cost $6.00 per hour. Before buying the concert ticket, I’d have to think about whether it was worth three times my normal entertainment cost. Was it special? What else would I have to forgo? Will I remember the experience fondly? For how long?

So what does all this have to do with Disney ticket prices?

Well, the little voice in the back of my head still uses the Movie Ticket Metric to assess the relative value of entertainment. Prices have gone up. Here in my New York area hamlet, a trip to the movies now runs about $16.00, meaning that entertainment costs $8.00 per hour. So let’s use that to put Disney ticket prices in perspective.

We know that the one-day Magic Kingdom admission ticket costs $99 (really $105.43 with tax), which we’re going to call $100 to make the math easier. That means in order for the Disney ticket to beat the Movie Ticket Metric, the ticket would have to provide at least 12.5 hours of entertainment.

While I don’t always spend an entire day at the park, assuming the park operation hours are sufficient, it certainly is possible to go from 9:00am until 9:30pm and be busy and entertained at the Magic Kingdom for the “break even” 12.5 hours. In fact, there are hard-core fans who have done significantly more than this and completed 80+ attractions in 24 fun-filled hours in Magic Kingdom as part of an Ultimate Touring Plan challenge.

Even if you don’t go absolutely crazy staying in the park from sunup to sundown, it’s easy to see that Disney tickets are priced at least in the ballpark of other entertainment options, when looked at on a price per hour basis. For example, if you put in a reasonable 8 hours in the park, your entertainment cost is going to be about $12.50 per hour. This is just over 50% more than the Movie Ticket Metric, whereas the concert mentioned above was 300% more than the Metric.

And let’s compare the hourly Disney cost to other potential uses of your entertainment dollar:

Sure, you can sit in your jammies in your living room and mainline back episodes of How I Met Your Mother on Netflix for pennies per hour, but event entertainment – memorable entertainment – is going to cost you much more than that. Broadway show tickets, professional sporting events, and name brand concerts of almost any sort will cost orders of magnitude more than the Movie Ticket Metric. Headliner entertainment out in the real world often commands an hourly rate of about $50.00+ per hour. Even modest entertainment investments such a bleacher seats or a day at the museum are not far below the Movie Ticket Metric mark.

Even more to think about

When considering the real hourly cost of Disney admission, you’ll also have to consider that the $99 one-day Magic Kingdom admission is the pinnacle of pricing. You can use the Touring Plans Ticket Price Comparison Tool to shop for price breaks on park admission, which will decrease your hourly expense.

Consider the value of entertainment beyond the rides.

Even more significantly, the daily (and thus hourly) rate for park admission drastically decreases as you buy more admission days. For example, a 10-day adult park admission costs approximately $354. Assume that you spend even six hours per day in the parks during those 10 days, then your hourly entertainment cost is about $5.90. If you bump up your park touring time to ten hours per day for those ten days, then you’re looking at just $3.54 per entertainment hour – significantly less than my current Movie Ticket Metric of $8.00 per hour.

If you’re in naysayer mode, you’re sure to point out that there are other costs associated with a Disney visit beyond ticket pricing. Of course this is true, but you have a fair amount of control over many of those factors – shop for a discount package, stay off site, bring your own food into the parks, or forgo souvenirs and you’re trimming expenses in a considerable way.

Also remember that you’ll have ancillary expenses associated with almost any other entertainment option as well. Maybe there are babysitter fees, or transportation and parking fees, or food costs. If you’re coming to New York to see Book of Mormon, your food and hotel costs will likely far exceed those you can expect to find at Disney World.

Should you factor in your memories in the value of your entertainment dollar?

A further consideration is that while the entertainment harvest from your Netflix subscription (or even your movie ticket purchase) may quickly fade from memory, a day at a Disney park will likely stick with you for quite some time. If you factor your time spent reminiscing or remembering your vacation into your entertainment cost, then the hourly expense may plummet to nearly nothing. Recent studies have shown that purchasing experiences such as vacations are the closest thing we have to buying happiness. You may want to consider whether a contribution to your happiness is worth a few more dollars of entertainment expense.

On the other hand, I haven’t factored in the opportunity cost of Disney ticket expense versus other non-entertainment expenditures. Of course no theme park ticket purchase is prudent if it cuts into non-discretionary spending such as housing or food, or other less frivolous experiential expense such as education. Only you can make the determination about what’s right for your family.

I’m certainly not saying that a day at Disney World is cheap, but given the comparisons here, it doesn’t seem unreasonably expensive overall.

What are your thoughts on the topic? Have you ever considered something like the Movie Theater Metric when evaluating your entertainment expenses? Do you still consider a park ticket to be a good value? Let us know in the comments below.

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