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PotterWatch: Universal’s Diagon Alley Webcast Reveals New Harry Potter Details

By Seth Kubersky

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New concept art of Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion from today’s Diagon Alley webcast.

If you’ve been following our PotterWatch series so far, you probably already watched this morning’s Diagon Alley webcast, in which Universal Orlando revealed new details about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion opening this June at Universal Studios Florida. The 30 minute presentation, broadcast from inside a “Gringotts vault,” was hosted by Universal Creative’s Mark Woodbury, and featured appearances from Potter film actors Mathew Lewis, James Phelps, and Evanna Lynch. But just in case you were unable to sign up for a link to the live video, or were stuck at work while it was playing, here’s a quick recap of what was covered:

Locations

The London Waterfront features facade facsimiles of King’s Cross Station, Charing Cross Road, Leicester Square Station, Wyndham’s Theatre, and Grimmauld Place. Eros Fountain from Piccadilly Circus and the Knight Bus (with interactive talking shrunken head) will sit in front of the facades. Guests will enter Diagon Alley through a brick wall opening under Leicester Square’s red-tiled arches.

Diagon Alley will be a completely immersive environment with tall buildings that completely block out the rest of the park. There WILL be a fire-breathing dragon perched atop the Gringotts bank, which implies the area is set after the breakout in Deathly Hallows.

Knockturn Alley is a “dark, scary” area for not-so-nice wizards located behind the Leaky Cauldron.

 

Attractions

The name of the headliner ride will be Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. It will be a “multi-sensory, multi-dimensional” indoor roller-coaster through the goblin-run wizarding bank with a highly detailed queue, and will be accessible to the “family.”

Guests must have a Park-to-Park Ticket in order to board the Hogwarts Express train between Kings Cross station in Universal Studios Florida and Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure. There will be a “magical transition” at Platform 9 3/4, and guests will see Potter scenery via virtual windows during the voyage in the highly-detailed train cars.

Platform 9 3/4 in Kings Cross Station

Hogsmeade Station

 

Shops

Ollivanders wand shop, with triple the capacity of the IoA version and an improved queue. The original shop at the other park will remain.

Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes joke shop replaces Zonko’s in Hogsmeade, which will close soon and be absorbed by Honeydukes.

Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions with wizard robes and character costumes.

Magical Menagerie with plush owls and other animals

Wiseacre’s Wizarding Equipment with toy telescopes and time turners.

Quality Quidditch Supplies with brooms, bludger bats, and golden snitches.

Scribbulus with stationary supplies.

Borgin & Burkes with Death Eater masks and other evil objects.

 

Food

Leaky Cauldron will be the main counter-service restaurant, serving British fare like bangers and mash.

Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour, with strawberry/peanut butter and many of other unique flavors.

 

Unknowns

The webcast filled in some blanks, but many questions are still unanswered, including:

What will the height requirement be for the Gringotts ride? (The train will not have a height restriction.)
Will Daniel Radcliffe appear in any new material for the expansion?
What exactly is in Knockturn Alley?
What will guests experience on the Hogwarts Express?
How will Platform 9 3/4 and the moving brick entry to Diagon Alley be recreated?
Will Olivanders have interactive wands for sale?
Will Express and early entry be offered in the expansion at opening?
And most importantly, what is the opening date?

When these questions are finally cleared up over the next few months, we will have the answers for you here at TouringPlans’s PotterWatch! In the meantime, check out Universal’s new Harry Potter website, and follow skubersky on Twitter for full coverage of this weekend’s Celebration of Harry Potter.

Subscribe to our Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar to get the best Universal Orlando wait-time data and touring plans, and check back soon for the next Wizarding World of Harry Potter construction update!

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First Look: New Menu at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop featuring Robata Grill

By Seth Kubersky

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An updated sushi bar is just one of chef Ryan Vargas’ new changes at Emeril’s Tchop Chop

Since it opened with Loews Royal Pacific Resort hotel in 2001, Emeril’s Tchoup Chop has established itself as one of the best upscale eateries at Universal Orlando Resort. To kick off 2014, my favorite happy hour hangout has shaken things up in a serious way, with a new chef, new front-of-house management, new flavors, and a new high-tech tool in the kitchen. We’ll be returning in the future for a fully detailed review of Tchoup Chop’s new menu choices, but for now here’s a small taste to whet your appetite.

New chef de cuisine Ryan Vargas (a veteran of Four Seasons and Ritz Carltons in Hawaii and Palm Beach) came on board in October, but only recently introduced his completely revamped menu. The emphasis is still on “Asian-inspired island cuisine”, but there are a variety of new appetizers and entrees, an expanded sushi selection, and a brand-new specialty cocktail list.

Me with Chef Ryan Vargas.

The centerpiece of the refreshed menu is the Robata grill, a “traditional Japanese grill that sears meat, seafood and vegetables at up to 1,000° F, allowing dishes to maintain their natural juices and flavor.” Tchop Chop’s Robata is reported one of only two in the area, and after sampling its results I’m sure to return for more.

We tried three of the Robata menu’s small plate selections, which were beautifully presented on a single platter.

Califlower ($4) was a smallish portion, but the char brought out the vegetable’s natural flavor nicely, and the accompanying curry sauce had a spicy kick.

The Japanese eggplant was elaborately carved like an edible piece of art, and the blackened skin paired perfectly with a chili mint sauce, but I didn’t particularly care for the wet, mushy interior.

Pork belly, served with tamari chile vinegar, was far and away the star of the show. The unctuous fat was blackend to an umami-filled ash on the outside, and gorgeously gelatinous underneath. Even if every other item on Tchoup Chop’s menu was abysmal (hint: they aren’t), this perfect piece of pig would be worth the trip all by itself. At $8, I didn’t feel feel the price was too outrageous, especially if you compare the quality and quantity to the tapas offerings at Epcot’s new Spice Road Table.

Behold the beauty of carmelized pork belly fat. Yummmmm…

Finally, for those who are frightened by change — fear not! The fabulous daily happy hour (5 p.m. to 8 p.m.) still offers $5 full-sized appetizers, including the addictive kiawe baby back ribs. I’ll see you at the bar!

 

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Details About the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade

By Rikki Niblett

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©Disney

The Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade has been rumored to begin its run in March, but I can now officially report that March is indeed the starting month for this fantastic new parade that will roll through Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

In addition to this tidbit of information, the Disney Parks Blog has been giving some great sneak peeks of the upcoming parade, including a look at the new Maleficent float. This fantastic steampunk-style mammoth of a dragon is 35 feet in length and reaches 26 feet above the parade route.

If you want to learn more about this parade, make sure to check out this video, which shows fantastic details about The Little Mermaid float, the Brave float, and the Peter Pan float.

According to Steve Davidson, Creative Director of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Creative Entertainment, the premise of this new parade is that the “characters exploded out of Fantasyland and said ‘Come to our new land. Come help us celebrate.’”

The Festival of Fantasy parade will bring to guests innovative new parade floats, vibrant costumes, and an original soundtrack that will feature beloved songs from favorite Disney films, plus a new parade theme song.

This new parade just keeps getting more intriguing by the second. (And this is from someone who can usually take or leave parades.)

We’ll keep you posted when we find out more!

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Your FastPass+ Priorities at Epcot

By Len Testa

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A small ceremony at Leave A Legacy in Future World Plaza marks the end of FASTPASS.

Epcot begins exclusive use of FastPass+ on Thursday, marking the official end of the original FASTPASS system at Walt Disney World. We think it would be appropriate tomorrow to recognize the occasion.

We’ve updated of our Epcot touring plans to use only FastPass+. Each plan now lists the suggested FastPass+ start times for the attractions that will save you the most time in line, like this:

Suggested start times for FastPass+ reservations:

Mission: SPACE (Orange) = 9 AM

Soarin’ = 10 AM

Spaceship Earth = 11 AM

The updated plans are very efficient, with the average wait in line under 9 minutes per attraction on most plans. In fact, because the plans are so efficient, we’ve added Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure and other attractions to many of the plans for teens and adults. (We also really like the game.) And some touring plans only use 2 of the 3 FastPass+ reservations you’re given each day, which means you have 1 more to revisit a favorite attraction (that you’ve not already used FastPass+ on that day) or try a new ride.

When we updated the plans, we kept track of how many times each attraction was identified as needing FastPass+. As we did for the Magic Kingdom’s FastPass+ priorities, here’s Epcot’s chart:

Epcot offers FastPass+ for 13 different experiences, and it was a little surprising to see that FastPass+ was useful in at at least some circumstances in more than half of the attractions. Read on for a detailed explanation of why these attractions show up most frequently in our Epcot touring plans.

Epcot’s Tiered FastPass+ Attractions and Their Impact on Touring Plan Strategy

The first thing to note about Epcot is that its FastPass+ attractions, like the Fastpass+ attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, are grouped (or “tiered”), and Disney limits how many FastPass+ reservations you can make for each group. Here’s the tiering:

Group A (Choose 1 attraction)

Epcot Character Spot

IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth

Maelstrom

Soarin’

Test Track

Group B (Choose 2 attractions)

Captain EO

Journey Into Imagination With Figment

Living with the Land

Mission: SPACE Green

Mission: SPACE Orange

Spaceship Earth

The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Turtle Talk with Crush

A lot of our Epcot touring strategy is dictated by the first group, which includes both Soarin’ and Test Track. Since you can’t get FastPass+ reservations for both, the basic strategy is to visit one as the first step in a touring plan, and then use FastPass+ for the other.

Another thing that affects an Epcot touring plan is that Sum of All Thrills, where you design and ride your own virtual roller coaster, does not participate in FastPass+. (Probably because its can handle only a few hundred guests per hour, so it doesn’t have enough capacity to allocate to reservations.) Sum of All Thrills appears on our ‘tween, teen and adult touring plans. Sum of All Thrills is in Innoventions East, near Test Track and Mission: SPACE, so our one-day touring plan for adults avoids the capacity constraints at Sum of All Thrills by putting it as the fourth step of the day, in between FastPass+ reservations for Test Track and Mission: SPACE:

Adult 1-Day Touring Plan for Epcot

1. Soarin’

2. Living with the Land

3. Test Track – make FastPass+ reservation for 9:15 AM to 10:15 AM

4. Sum of All Thrills

5. Mission: SPACE (Orange) – make FastPass+ reservation for 10:15 AM to 11:15 AM

You should get to Test Track in the second half of your one-hour FastPass+ time window. By the time you’ve finished Test Track and been through Sum of All Thrills, your FastPass+ window for Mission: SPACE (Orange) will have started, and it’s a short walk from Innoventions East. So this strategy saves you both time in line and walking.

Why FastPass+ Is Recommended More At Soarin’ Than Test Track

You’ll notice that our touring plan software recommends FastPass+ for Soarin’ more than twice as often as Test Track. Both have 40″ height requirements, but Test Track is a more harsh ride, with sudden stops, turns and acceleration. For that reason, Test Track doesn’t appear on many of our touring plans for parents with small children or our touring plans for seniors, and it doesn’t appear as often in the chart above.

The second reason is that Test Track has a single rider line, but Soarin’ does not. Test Track’s single-rider wait times are typically less than half of the standby wait times. If you’re willing to have your group ride separately, Test Track’s single rider line is a good way to mitigate its standby waits.

Attractions That Never Need FastPass+ In Our Epcot Touring Plans

These Epcot attractions never require FastPass+ in our touring plans:

Captain EO

Journey Into Imagination with Figment

IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth

Epcot Character Spot

Mission: SPACE (Green)

Waits for Captain EO and Imagination are almost always under 10 minutes, so they’re not a good use of FastPass+. Similarly, the waits for the non-spinning Mission: SPACE (Green) are almost always lower than the spinning (Orange); the spinning version is more popular and that’s what we have in our touring plans.

IllumiNations is more popular, and FastPass+ gets you into a special viewing area for the show. But there are so many other good viewing spots along World Showcase Lagoon that it’s difficult to recommend FastPass+ for IllumiNations, when the consequence is an hour-long wait at either Soarin’ or Test Track.

Finally, the Epcot Character Spot doesn’t require FastPass+ in our touring plans for parents with small children. Because you can get a FastPass+ for Soarin’ (if your children are old enough), and because Test Track and Mission: SPACE aren’t on our plans because of their intensity and height requirements, our touring plan software usually puts the Epcot Character Spot as one of the first steps in your touring plan.

The Best Times for FastPass+ Reservations at Epcot

Now that you know which attractions most need FastPass+, the next question is when you should make your FastPass+ reservations. Here’s a chart showing the times our Epcot touring plans use FastPass+ to avoid long lines (yellow=morning times, orange=afternoon):

Another thing worth noticing is that the average FastPass+ reservation time is before 1:30 PM in our touring plans. Every FastPass+ ride except Norway’s Maelstrom is in Future World, and World Showcase doesn’t open until 11 AM. This, coupled with typical guest arrival patterns at Epcot, means that crowds will be concentrated in Future World through early afternoon.

What To Do If You Have Other FastPass+ Attractions or Times

If you can get a FastPass+ reservation for the attractions shown, anywhere near the times listed, the touring plans will work exactly as shown, and your waits in line will be minimized. If you need to choose other FastPass+ attractions or times, our free computer-optimized touring plan software will incorporated those.

Here’s the process I usually follow to create an optimal Epcot touring plan with low waits in line:

Select all of the attractions I want to visit during the day, and enter in all of the meals and breaks I want to take. I don’t enter any FastPass+ times at this step, because I first want to see what the Optimizer identifies as the attractions with potentially long waits.
Click the “Optimize” button and wait for the touring plan to be optimized.
Find the first attraction with a wait over 30 minutes, and see if a FastPass+ reservation is available for that attraction around that time. If I find one, I enter in the FastPass+ time that’s available, and re-optimize the plan.
I repeat Step 3 for the two FastPass+ eligible attractions with the highest wait times throughout the day. I re-optimize the plan after each attraction, because saving a bunch of time on one attraction may allow the Optimizer to uncover other ways to save you time throughout the day.

I’ll also manually re-arrange some of the World Showcase steps in a plan, especially if they’re not automatically oriented into a clockwise- or counter-clockwise tour. The folks in our Lines Chat forum are especially helpful in making suggestions for efficient touring plans too.

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Observations From Animal Kingdom: January 18, 2014

By Daisy Lauren

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This weekend I went over to Animal Kingdom to test FastPass+ and to check out the former site of Camp Minnie-Mickey. I thought you guys would like to come with me! Saturday was very cold by Florida standards! The high was only 57 degrees, so I was thankful afternoon FastPass+ slots were available for Kilimanjaro Safaris. I secured our 3:40 – 4:40 time slot. Since all FastPass+ reservations come in trios, I was also assigned FastPass+ to meet Mickey and to see Finding Nemo – The Musical. Upon arriving at 2:30pm I discovered parking attendants weren’t even directing cars where to park! This suggested that crowds would be manageable. Here is what it looked like walking in:

Funny story, I didn’t like the weird angle of my previous videos, so I came up with the brilliant idea of buying a head strap for my GoPro. So if you see a gal in the parks carrying 10+ pounds of camera gear with a GoPro stuck to her forehead, you might have just spotted me. My husband is a saint! Anywho- we went straight over to the Camp Minnie-Mickey area and immediately spotted a big empty spot where the bear sign used to be.

The walkway was still open, so I walked down until I eventually hit a wall. If you look on the right side of the wall you can see the structure that used to hold the round sign marking the land. It’s still there, but the sign has been removed. What was most shocking to me about seeing this area for the first time was how it really felt like nothing was missing. If you were a regular day guest, I doubt you would even notice that a huge part of the park is closed off.

We still had some time to kill before our FastPass+ resrevation, so I stopped off on the Discovery Island Trail. This is just on the right before the entrance to Africa. Even though it has this spiffy sign, lots of people walk right past it. I can’t recommend enough taking some time to explore this and all the walking trails around the Tree of Life. There are so many animals to see!

I will follow that up with saying there really aren’t that many animals out on this trail on a cold day! Below is the saddle-billed stork that we spotted. Normally on this trail you’d see macaws, porcupines, and a tortoise.

But the only other thing we saw was a sleepy painted stork (below). The trail was mostly a bust on this blustery day. I crossed my fingers that this wasn’t going to be a trend for the rest of the day!

From here we walked over to Kilimanjaro Safaris to take a chance on the standby line. It was a whopping 45 minute wait, so we decided to keep on walking and see the 3pm Flights of Wonder show. Pictured below is an animal trainer, Cassie, and a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. If you can believe, it this bird is 45 years old!

Flights of Wonder is a great show! If you haven’t taken time to see it, you absolutely have to the next time you are here. I know you will love it – even if you have F.O.B! (Fear of Birds) This Great Horned Owl below swooped through the aisle next to me. It was so close I swear I felt some feathers!

Below is a very handsome Harris Hawk. He flies over the audience several times. They warn everyone not to duck because he will simply fly lower! It’s amazing to watch him just a few inches above the crowd. I must have taken a hundred photos of all the different birds – but I will move on to the rest of our day. Just promise you’ll go see this funny, endearing show – it’s worth the time!

Next it was time to cash in those FastPass+ that we’d been waiting on. It was our first time using our annual passes for return times at Animal Kingdom, so I was hoping we wouldn’t have any issues. As it turned out we didn’t really get a chance to find out! The line was wrapped all the way down to stroller parking, and they seemed to be having a problem with the system. Eventually they just let people in with one member of the party sort of scanning for FastPass+. We were just waived through and boarded in less than 10 minutes. I’m not sure if the weather was to blame, but the entire first half of Kilimanjaro Safaris was a bust. Things livened up once we reached the savanna. First up, I saw a waterbuck standing up for the first time ever! These guys are normally hiding, so it was neat to see!

We passed several wildebeests, Ankole cattle, and greater kudu off in the distance. Nothing was really photo worthy. All the animals seemed to be hiding off in the shrubs. But then we came around a corner and ran smack into a tower of giraffes in the road! (A group of giraffes is called a tower.) We were stopped for almost 10 minutes while a game warden tried to coax these guys out of the road! You know how you shake the cat treats at home trying to get your cat’s attention? Well picture a grown man shaking a 10 gallon bucket of I’m not sure what. Eventually, all but one giraffe took the bait. The warden told the driver to just drive by slowly and encourage that last one. As we rolled by it begrudgingly crawled into the bush it had been chewing on.

Next up were the elephants! I’m very happy to report that the awful burlap fencing that had been up for months is gone! Does anyone know what that was all about? It made it impossible to get good photos of the elephants. For some reason when we drove by all of them were standing perfectly still. I heard several people around me say they looked like cardboard cutouts instead of real elephants!

Up to this point the ride had been a little disappointing. But what came up next made it all worthwhile. It turns out the big cats love the cold weather! Check out this photo of a cheetah laying out in the sun!

Just around the corner a male and female lion were perched together just posing for photos! Aren’t they beautiful? Check out the mane on that lion! Anyone else wondering how it stays so perfect without someone brushing it for him? My house cat sure can’t manage that on his own.

Due to the giraffe delay, it was almost 4:40pm by the time we exited the safari. The Maharajah Jungle Trek and Pangani Forest Exploration Trail closed at 5pm, so I decided to save some steps and just go next door to Pangani. When we got to the first enclosure, it was empty, and I was thinking this might be a waste of time in the chilly weather. Just then, an okapi walked up out of nowhere like he’d been waiting on us! He even stopped and posed for a moment.

I swore I wasn’t going to include these birds again – but look at the pose this yellow weaver bird struck for me!

The meerkats seemed to very much dislike the cold. The one lookout was slumped up top but I didn’t see any others.

I was surprised to see very active gorillas at the end of the day! Both males and females were moving around, eating , and seeming to enjoy the weather. The baby was even out. When they called them to go inside at 5pm, the baby climbed to the top of a tree and refused to go in for a little while! Sound like any kids you know? Of course, I had just switched lenses and missed photos of the whole thing, but here is one of the pretty girls below.

I’m also including this very “unofficial” animal because it was so funny. This fat, little rabbit kept stealing food from the gorillas! It would watch, then sneak up, and tear off across the enclosure with whatever little scrap it had taken. For a little while we were all having more fun watching this renegade bunny than the amazing group of gorillas!!

We were among the last people to exit the trail. At this point Africa was pretty much closed, so we decided to head off towards Asia. Here is the walled off area as you exit Harambe where they are building the future Festival of the Lion King theater.

It’s such a nice walk over to Asia – I thought you guys might enjoy it:

We still had a little time to kill before our FastPass+ time to meet Minnie and Mickey, so I wandered around for a nice photo spot. I was able to get this great shot of Everest in the setting sun.

After this we walked back toward Asia and caught this neat musical act. I think I prefer this to the DJ and dancing group I’ve seen in the area on previous trips.

We enjoyed the music and then walked over to meet Minnie and Mickey in their Discovery Island location. It was the moment of truth, and FastPass+ worked flawlessly! We were in to see the big cheese in less than 5 min! They were even nice enough to kiss for their photo!

At this point it was 5:30pm, and we realized that our Finding Nemo FastPass+ wasn’t until the 7pm show. We didn’t think we could kill another 90 minutes in the park with all the animal attractions closed, so we decided to take our chances with the standby line and head into the 6pm show. We were able to snag 3rd row seats with no trouble!

Finding Nemo – The Musical is another one of those can’t-miss shows! All the performers do such a great job, and the effects are amazing! Not to mention the tunes are catchy! I imagine I’ll be seeing this show even more until Festival of the Lion King reopens this summer.

Okay – just one more photo. This show can be tricky, and I finally nailed my settings to get great shots! Plus, the below actor is my favorite Marlin.

When we exited the theater we emerged into pitch black darkness. No, really, it was dark,and there was almost no lighting! All the people around us were joking that it was time to leave because they’d shut off all the lights. Everyone shuffled towards DinoLand U.S.A. because it was the only thing lit up! We decided to head towards the exit, as the temperature had dropped to a frigid 46 degrees! I can’t remember the last time I was in Animal Kingdom after dark… but it’s creepy! They are going to have to get more lights in there before Avatar Land keeps the park open later.

It was a successful and fun-filled day with FastPass+. One thing I didn’t mention was that while we were waiting for Finding Nemo to begin, I pulled up the My Magic Experience app on my phone and was prompted to move my 7pm slot to Expedition Everest. Not too bad, considering the current wait was 45 minutes. It certainly isn’t perfect, but FastPass+ seems to be improving.

So what do you think? Did you see anything new here? Did you like taking a quick afternoon tour of Animal Kingdom with me? Or do you just hate me for calling 46 degrees frigid? Please let me know in the comments below and as always thanks for reading!

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Trip Planning 101: Packing for Your Walt Disney World Vacation

By Erin Foster

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You’re going to Walt Disney World! You’ve chosen your travel dates and made your reservations, but what should you bring with you? To help you with this issue, we’ve created a handy downloadable TOURINGPLANS PACKING CHECKLIST listing items you’ll need during your trip.

See the link for the complete checklist.

The checklist includes it all, but the rationale for many of the checklist items is broken down here. Packing for a Walt Disney World vacation involves gathering five types of basic items:

Clothing

 

Toiletries

 

Documents/Money

 

Electronics

 

and Miscellaneous.

CLOTHING

My biggest suggestion when assessing your clothing needs is to check the Orlando weather forecast 2-3 days prior to your trip, particularly if you’re traveling at any time other than mid-summer. I have been to Walt Disney World in the winter when temperature lows were in the 20s (F). That means you’ll need jeans, sweaters, jackets, and gloves, not shorts and tank tops. Also winter trips tend to have greater temperature fluctuations. Bring layers that you can take on/off throughout the day.

I’m not a fan of chores while I’m on vacation, so I usually skip doing laundry on my trips, but you should know that coin-operated guest laundry rooms are available at every Walt Disney World resort hotel. This can come in handy if you have an accident-prone child or are trying to take a long trip with only carry-on luggage. If I won’t be doing laundry on my trip, I tend to pack at least one or two extra shirts and changes of underwear and socks for each person in my family. It’s amazing how much better fresh clothes can make you feel after a sweaty day in the parks.

If you’re checking bags, keep one change of clothing in a carry-on in case of delayed or lost luggage. I also recommend bringing clothing in a carry-on for your return flight. Don’t even get me started about the nine hour delay I had at Orlando International with a sick child, no stores open, and no extra clothes.

Shoes are a big topic in Walt Disney World planning circles. The only footwear restrictions I’m aware of at Walt Disney World are that you must be wearing shoes in the theme parks and that Heelies (or similar) cannot be used in their wheeled form. I’ve seen guests sporting flipflops, sneakers, Crocs, sandals, boots, Uggs, ballet flats, and even stiletto heels while touring the parks. You should wear whatever makes you most comfortable. Be aware that you will be walking for MILES during your trip; blisters are a common complaint in the parks. This is not the time to try something new. If you’re traveling during the summer months, you may want to bring a second pair of walking shoes in case your feet get soaked in one of the frequent Florida downpours. Trekking in wet shoes can be quite unpleasant. If I’m visiting during the summer, I’ll pop a pair of flip flops into my day bag so I can switch out of sneakers during the inevitable rain.

Bring more medication than you think you’ll need.

TOILETRIES

As I noted in the post Your Walt Disney World Hotel Gift Shop: What Did You Forget? Chances Are They Have It, the Walt Disney World resort gift shops are well stocked with any personal care items you may have forgotten. However, prices will be more than you’d pay at home, and you may not find the exact brand you’re looking for.

I’m going to give a quick shout-out to a favorite website of mine, minimus.biz. Minimus is a great source for travel-size items of all sorts including toiletries, baby care items, snacks, and even toys. As always, double check the TSA website for current carry-on rules.

Several members of my family take daily prescription medications. I’ve had Disney-related vacations unexpectedly extended by several days due to weather issues. I had packed extra meds to cover our unplanned extra days, but just barely enough. If there are any must-take prescriptions needed by your family, I encourage you to bring at least 3-4 days more than you think you’ll need. Having copies of your prescriptions can facilitate getting replacements if your travels are delayed even further. And of course, prescription medications should never be placed in checked luggage.

DOCUMENTS/MONEY

If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World resort, you will have use of a MagicBand during your trip. Most guests will have MagicBands mailed to their homes in advance of their travel. (If you don’t get a MagicBand in advance, because you booked last minute or you’re from a non-US location, MagicBands will be available at check-in.) If you’re sent MagicBands at home, REMEMBER TO PACK THEM. You’ll want to keep your bands in your carry-on luggage because you’ll now be able to use them at the Magical Express welcome station at Orlando International.

Remember to bring your MagicBands with you.

Disney park tickets are often now linked to MagicBands, so if you’re staying on property you may not have any paper tickets to keep track of. However, if you do have paper tickets, it pays to make copies of them. On my a recent trip to the parks, my daughter’s ticket fell out of her bag – lost. Disaster (and a big replacement cost) was avoided because I had taken a cell phone photo of the ticket’s bar code. As soon as we realized the ticket was gone, I brought the photo to guest relations and the ticket was reissued within minutes. For easy replacement, copy or photograph the back of your tickets. Similarly, MagicBand users should make sure that they remember their MyDisneyExperience user name and password. You can manage your MagicBand activation online or give your MagicBand serial number (list on the MyDisneyExperience site) to a cast member to get a replacement band if yours is lost. Also remember that while Annual Pass Tickets can be loaded onto a MagicBand, the discounts associated with having an Annual Pass don’t transfer over to the Band. If you want to take advantage of purchase discounts, you’ll need to have the actual card (and a photo ID) with you.

When I’m home, my wallet contains a few dozen items: grocery cards, frequent buyer cards, department store credit cards, etc. When I travel, I leave all that behind and just take the basics: driver’s license, basic credit cards, health insurance ID cards, and Disney-related membership cards (DVC, Annual Pass, D-23). It’s easier to carry fewer items and it’s easier to replace fewer items if they become lost or stolen. If something unfortunate does occur, your recovery time will be much quicker if you have photocopies of each of the items you have with you.

During several recent vacations, members of my extended traveling party have had credit cards compromised (not at Walt Disney, but you never know). My new standard advice to any traveler is to have easy vacation access to more than one credit card in case you have cancel a card while traveling. This might mean that you have two or three cards, or that you have one and your spouse/companion has one, but make sure that at least one will remain active if you cancel the other.

A power strip or outlet expander can make travel easier.

I also encourage you to take your ID and health insurance cards with you into the Walt Disney World theme parks. ID is required to verify resort room charges over $50. Insurance cards may be necessary if you have the unfortunate circumstance of having to travel directly from a park to a medical care situation. (Yes, it’s happened to my family. Hey, if you visit enough, things are bound to happen.) There is a school of thought that suggests you can spend a day at Walt Disney World with only your ticket-encoded room key on your person. I strongly discourage this.

You won’t need large amounts of cash at Walt Disney World. Credit cards and room charges are accepted at almost all on-site locations. However keeping some on hand is always advisable. You may need to pay a taxi driver or tip your bellman. If you’re driving from the airport, there are several tolls along the way. Having dollar bills can speed your journey. There are ATMs in the Disney theme parks and resorts.

ELECTRONICS

Between phones, iPads, iPods, cameras, and computers, my five person family travels with a minimum of a dozen electronic gadgets. Before you leave home, make sure that you have all the required power cords and chargers. I routinely pack a power strip to facilitate the charging of all these items – much easier than tripping on cords all over the room or worrying whether your phone charging in the bathroom is in danger of falling into the sink. And needless to say, never pack eletronics or their chargers in checked luggage. There’s nothing more frustrating that having your flight delayed for hours and having no way to recharge your dying cellphone.

I’ve also become a big fan of portable external device chargers. I use a Mophie case for my iPhone, but there are similar, and less expensive, options for other devices. I find that when I’m in the parks, I’m checking Lines for ride updates, calling my kids, playing games during waits, updating my FastPass+ reservations, and taking photos of characters; a single battery charge barely makes it through the morning.

Sleep-specific headphones can help keep the peace if your family members fall asleep at different times.

I’d like to emphasize how important having a smartphone or tablet in the parks can be these days. While you can make and change FastPass+ reservations and modify dining reservations at in-park kiosks or at guest relations offices, having the ability to do this on the fly (while waiting in line for an attraction, for example) will make your life much easier. There is now free WiFi available in the parks and resorts, so if you won’t have to pay for Internet access.

Since you’ll have your phone and/or tablet with you, you’ll want to activate any available security features, such as “Find My Phone” on an iPhone. When you’re on vacation and out of your usual routine, you’re more likely to misplace something like your phone. Find My Phone can be a lifesaver.

Regarding cameras, there are PhotoPass/MemoryMaker photographers in the parks that will take shots of your family at some locations. However, the photographers are not everywhere and the PhotoPass/MemoryMaker pictures get expensive quickly. I strongly encourage you to bring some sort of photographic equipment with you into the parks. I’m a sucker for Goofy and kids with big Goofy grins.

Two other plug-in items I like having are a booklight and soft sleep-specific headphones. The odds of a family all falling asleep at the same time in a hotel room is minimal, these items can help make everyone more comfortable.

MISCELLANEOUS

Here a few notes about “everything else:”

Gum – They don’t sell it in the Disney parks or resorts. And they don’t sell it at the Orlando airport. If you need gum to help with ear-popping on your flight, be sure to pack enough for your return trip as well.
Zip-top bags – The travel uses for these are endless: Save your child’s unfinished snack for later. Keep your wet bathing suit contained in your luggage. Contain your collectible pin collection. Throw a few in your bag and you’ll thank me later.
Ponchos or umbrellas – Rain showers are common in central Florida. The parks sell rain gear, but it’s much more expensive than what you’ll find at home.
Laundry bag – When I travel with the family, I pack a mesh laundry bag. This gives the kids a specific place to corral their sweaty duds at the end of the day.
A magnifying mirror – These are not standard equipment in most WDW hotel rooms. If you need one to do your makeup, bring a small one from home. Be sure to check out our list of other items that you won’t find at your Disney hotel.

Disney rental strollers are not very comfortable. You’ll probably want to bring your own.

Additionally, if you fall into one of the categories below, you’re going to need bring some additional gear:

Guests with babies/toddlers
Guests with elementary age children
Athletes
Guests traveling during special seasons
Guests with upscale dining plans
Pin/Vinylmation traders
Guests planning to eat in their hotel room
Guests driving to Walt Disney World

GUESTS WITH BABIES/TODDLERS

Walt Disney World hosts many, many thousands of pint-sized guests each year. The parks are well equipped for children. But they may not be well-equipped for YOUR child. When my kids were small, they had VERY specific preferences for things like pacifier and baby food brands. If your kids are choosy, bring supplies from home.

Diapers and related supplies are available at Walt Disney World, but they may not have exactly what you need. For the complete run-down, take a look at the post Disney and the Diaper: Managing Diaper and Potty-Training Issues at Walt Disney World.

Stroller-related questions are hot topic in Disney circles. Just check out our guide to Frequently Asked Questions About Disney Strollers to help you decide whether to pack a stroller for your trip. I personally always recommend that you bring your own when you’re traveling with babies or toddlers. Your mileage may vary.

TRAVEL WITH ELEMENTARY AGE CHILDREN

Costumes are NOT required for character meals, but many children (particularly girls) don’t feel like they’ve had the full Disney experience until they’ve had a meal at the parks in costume. Be aware that the most basic Disney princess dress sold in the parks costs about $70.00. Bring a $12.95 Wal-Mart dress with you and no-one will be the wiser. For more information, see our guide to Disney Princess Dresses.

If you’re a trader, don’t forget your pins or Vinylmations.

ATHLETES

There are numerous sporting activities available at Walt Disney World. If you’re interested in working off the Dole Whip and churros you consume in the parks, then don’t forget your running shoes or tennis racket. If you’re visiting Walt Disney World for a RunDisney race, be sure to bring your waivers, broken-in shoes and clothing, and any refueling supplies you’ll need.

SEASONAL CONSIDERATIONS

If you’re visiting Walt Disney World in September or October, you might want to pack a costume for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Costumes are not required, but they can add a bit of festive flair to your experience.

Winter trips can be chilly if you’re not prepared. Some Walt Disney World visits in January and February are much more pleasant if you’re prepared with hats and gloves.

UPSCALE DINING

A few of Disney’s signature dining experiences have a minimal dress code. Or, if you’ll be dining at the posh Victoria & Albert’s in the Grand Floridian, you’ll need posh attire. Check the Walt Disney World website for current requirements.

Toss a small emergency kit into your daypack made with items specific your family’s needs.

TRADING

Pin trading and Vinylmation trading (my personal vice) are great ways to personalize your park experience and facilitate interaction with cast members. If trading is your thing, then don’t forget to bring your supplies with you.

Don’t forget your Vinylmation or pin traders.

BRING YOUR OWN FOOD

If you’re trying to economize, bringing breakfast items and snacks from home is a great way to keep on budget. Cereal boxes, granola bars, and nuts are easy to transport. Guests can bring food items into the parks (alcohol and glass containers are not permitted), but large coolers are not allowed. Bring a small soft-sided cooler with you if you’d have food items you’d like to keep cold.

DRIVING TO WALT DISNEY WORLD

If you’re driving to the parks, you have a bit more leeway in what you can bring. Don’t forget items to make the drive more comfortable for the kiddos, particularly if it’s a long one. Beach towels can be a great thing to have if you’re going to the water parks, and as an added bonus, they can do double duty as drive-time blankets.

All the Disney resort hotels have laundry facilities available for guest use.

WHAT TO ACTUALLY BRING INTO THE PARKS?

So you’ve hauled all your stuff to Orlando, but what do you actually bring into the parks with you? If you’re just traveling with adults, you may be able to get away with just pocket items: your MagicBands and/or tickets, your phone, a small tube of sunscreen, and a few basic wallet cards. (Consult the checklist for necessary paperwork.)

If, like me, you’re more of a “be prepared” person, then a small backpack works perfectly for park touring. In addition to the above items, use the backpack to tote: your camera, sunglasses, first aid supplies, snacks, a water bottle, rain gear (umbrella or folded ponchos), a light sweater (chilly air-conditioned restaurants), tissues, Purell, and more sunscreen.

The first-aid stations in the parks do stock pretty much everything you’d need for minor scrapes or illness, but I find it MUCH more convenient to have these things with me. I have a four inch square fabric pouch that I always carry in the parks. It contains: 2 Purell wipes packs, 3 or 4 doses of Tylenol, single-use dental floss packs, 3-4 hair bands, Benedryl Quick Dissolve strips, 4-5 Band-Aids, 2 doses of Immodium or Pepto Bismol, safety pins, a folded zip-top bag, and an emergency panty liner. All this weighs only a few ounces, but something in the pouch has come into use nearly every time I’ve traveled to Walt Disney World. Your contents may be slightly different depending on your family’s needs.

Guests traveling with young children will need to tote even more gear into the parks. In addition to the pocket and backpack items I’ve noted, you’ll also need diapers, wipes, baby food, bottles, bibs, and a host of other childcare paraphernalia. My family liked to use our stroller as a “home base.” We packed the diaper bag with all the essentials for the day and left it in the stroller. When we went off on rides, we just took a smaller bag with us that contained valuables, 1 or 2 diapers and wipes, and some basic snacks. As we went back to the stroller, we replenished our “go bag” as needed. Obviously you’ll need to assess your own comfort level with leaving anything unattended in your stroller, as there is the very small possibility here of loss/theft. However, this is extremely rare, and if you make sure to take your camera/wallet with you, the potential damage is limited.

Let me add that with small children, the amount of “stuff” you can convince yourself you need is nearly unlimited. (The downside of the “be prepared” syndrome.) Yes, you can bring a plastic stroller cover in case of rain and an extra stroller blanket in case of a chill. Or you can improvise with a poncho and towel. It’s impossible to plan for every situation; try to have a MacGyver attitude and enjoy the adventure.

My last tip is that I always pre-pack the bag that I’ll be bringing into the parks and place it into my main luggage. For me that usually means that I load up a backpack with the items listed above (minus liquids, which I add later) and drop it into my regular suitcase. I typically arrive at my Walt Disney World hotel mid-morning, before my room is ready. With a touring bag pre-packed for the parks, I can just pull it out of the suitcase, drop my luggage at bell services, and be on my way to the parks in minutes. No searching for the camera, ponchos, and sunglasses; it’s all right there, ready to go.

So folks, what are your packing strategies? What have I forgotten? What have you forgotten on your Disney trips? What’s missing from the checklist? Let us know in the comments below.

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Your FastPass+ Priorities at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

By Len Testa

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Disney’s Animal Kingdom began exclusive use of FastPass+ on earlier this month. At that time, we updated of our Disney’s Animal Kingdom touring plans to use only FastPass+. Each plan now lists the suggested Fastpass+ start times for the attractions that will save you the most time in line, like this:

Suggested start times for FastPass+ reservations:

Kali River Rapids = 10 AM

Dinosaur = 1 PM

Kilimanjaro Safaris = 4 PM

The updated plans are very efficient – the average wait in line should be under 7 minutes per step during summer for our standard 1-day Unofficial Guide Touring Plan - with more than an hour of free time available in the afternoon.

When we updated the plans, we kept track of how many times each attraction was identified as needing FastPass+. As we did for the Magic Kingdom’s FastPass+ priorities, here’s the Animal Kingdom’s chart:

FastPass+ is offered at more than a dozen Animal Kingdon attractions, only about half of them ever require FastPass+ in our touring plans. Here’s why.

Kali River Rapids is the attraction that most frequently uses FastPass+ in our touring plans.  Why? Like Peter Pan’s Flight at the Magic Kingdom, people go elsewhere first thing in the morning, and come around after they’ve seen a couple other attractions. In the Animal Kingdom, adults and teens head to Expedition Everest in Asia first, while parents with children too small for Everest head for the Kilimanjaro Safaris in Africa. Using FastPass+ at Kali allows you to do other important attractions early in the morning while lines are short, while still getting a relatively short line at Kali when you get there.

Our second most frequent recommendation for FastPass+ is Africa’s Kilimanjaro Safaris. Most of our touring plans for tweens, teens and adults start off at Expedition Everest and try to get through Dinosaur and Primeval Whirl before the crowds arrive. (It also keeps backtracking to a minimum.) Those plans generally visit the Safaris around either lunchtime or late afternoon, and using FastPass+ here will save you a lot of time in line.

Dinosaur and the Meet Disney Pals at the Adventurer’s Outpost character greeting show up on our Animal Kingdom touring plans for parents with small children. Like Kali River Rapids, these aren’t going to be the first stop in your day, and using FastPass+ at these attractions will generally save more time in line than using FastPass+ at any other child-friendly attraction in our plans.

Why FastPass+ Isn’t Recommended at Expedition Everest

You’ll notice Expedition Everest only appears once in the chart. This is because our free Disney World touring plan software generally puts Everest as the first step in any Animal Kingdom touring plan. Posted wait times at Expedition Everest can average 60 to 80 minutes during summer, and more during holidays. Getting to Everest first thing in the morning allows you to avoid those lines and save a FastPass+ reservation for something else. Also, Expedition Everest has a single-rider line. If you can’t get a FastPass+ reservation for Everest and you don’t mind your family being separated for one ride, using Expedition Everest’s single-rider line is a great choice for avoiding long lines.

Attractions That Never Need FastPass+ In Our Animal Kingdom Touring Plans

These Animal Kingdom attractions never require FastPass+ in our touring plans:

Festival of the Lion King

Finding Nemo – The Musical

It’s Tough to Be a Bug!

Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade

Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade (Seasonal)

Why? Most of them are shows and parades, and our touring plan software does a good job of getting you to the show at least 15 minutes in advance. When your touring plan gets you to a show 15 minutes in advance, you’ll almost always be able to get in to see that performance. And the worst case in most scenarios is that you’ll only have to wait until the next show.  Finally, it’s rare for the wait time at It’s Tough to Be a Bug to be more than 15 minutes, so there’s not a lot of time to be saved there using FastPass+.

The Best Times for FastPass+ Reservations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Now that you know which attractions most need FastPass+, the next question is when you should make your FastPass+ reservations. Here’s a chart showing the times our Animal Kingdom touring plans use FastPass+ to avoid long lines (yellow=morning times, orange=afternoon):

Our touring plan software recommends Kali River Rapids from 10 AM to 11 AM about half the time, with the other half scheduled for mid-afternoon. All of the Safaris visits are scheduled for the afternoon. Don’t be concerned about the animals being unavailable or less active than in the morning. We’ve sent teams out to ride the Kilimanjaro Safaris all throughout the day, while keeping count of how many big animals (like elephants), little animals (like gazelles), and birds they see on each ride. There’s no predictable difference in the types or number of animals you see throughout the day. Not surprisingly, Disney created the animals’ resting spots to be cool, comfortable, and in view of the safari vehicles.

What To Do If You Have Other FastPass+ Attractions or Times

If you can get a FastPass+ reservation for the attractions shown, anywhere near the times listed, the touring plans will work exactly as shown, and your waits in line will be minimized. If you need to choose other FastPass+ attractions or times, our free computer-optimized touring plan software will incorporated those.

Here’s the process I usually follow to create an optimal Animal Kingdom touring plan with low waits in line:

Select all of the attractions I want to visit during the day, and enter in all of the meals and breaks I want to take. I don’t enter any FastPass+ times at this step, because I first want to see what the Optimizer identifies as the attractions with potentially long waits.
Click the “Optimize” button and wait for the touring plan to be optimized.
Find the first attraction with a wait over 30 minutes, and see if a FastPass+ reservation is available for that attraction around that time. If I find one, I enter in the FastPass+ time that’s available, and re-optimize the plan.
I repeat Step 3 for the two FastPass+ eligible attractions with the highest wait times throughout the day. I re-optimize the plan after each attraction, because saving a bunch of time on one attraction may allow the Optimizer to uncover other ways to save you time throughout the day.

Another great resource for optimizing touring plans is our Lines Chat forum, where lots of folks are happy to offer suggestions.

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House of Blues Opens The Smokehouse, a New Barbecue Quick Service Restaurant

By Morgan Crutchfield

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With Disney Springs construction ramping up and parts of what is currently Downtown Disney behind construction walls, Disney is working on boosting the West Side’s dining appeal during the midday hours. This afternoon, House of Blues opened its newest quick-service location, The Smokehouse, a barbecue-and-sides joint.

Just a little booth in front of the House of Blues, Smokehouse (see the menu) serves pulled pork sandwiches, half-racks of ribs, a brisket sandwich, pulled chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, and a turkey leg, with various barbecue-friendly sides like slaw and fries. Sandwiches are served on fresh brioche buns, which is always a nice salty addition to a sweet or tangy sauce. While I didn’t get to see the turkey leg to compare its size to those in the parks, at $7.99 it’s nearly FOUR DOLLARS LESS than legs at the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios (Toluca Legs).

Though Smokehouse was only open to Cast Members at lunch today, House of Blues servers said they plan to soft open to guests tonight for dinner. Regular hours haven’t yet been determined, but they hope to serve lunch and dinner, probably opening around noon. After a bit of an awkward stare, one of the Cast Members in line agreed to let me snap a picture of her brisket sandwich, which looked delicious. 

According to the menu posted (sorry the picture is a little dark from the hulking shadow that is Disney Quest), Smokehouse does not accept Disney Dining Plan. Cast Members were unsure as to whether discounts would be offered to Passholders or DVC members, but the prices were fairly reasonable, even without discount.

House of Blues has added a small seating area just behind the barbecue outpost, which is almost completely shaded until later in the afternoon.

While I didn’t get to actually taste anything, if the smell and CM reactions are any indicator, Smokehouse could become a favorite new barbecue stop on property in the very near future.

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Ask Jim Hill Ep 22 – Jim Speculates About A Few Long-term WDW Plans

By Guy Selga Jr.

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On this episode of Ask Jim Hill, Len Testa and Jim Hill go in to detail about some long-term Walt Disney World plans, such as the future of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and upcoming Disney Vacation Club resorts.

New episodes are posted every Tuesday, so be sure to subscribe on YouTube!

If you have a question about Disney or Universal history, you can submit it to AskJimHill@TouringPlans.com, and he may answer it on the air!

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FASTPASS and FastPass+: What’s the Difference?

By Erin Foster

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With the legacy paper FASTPASS program about to go the way of Horizons and [insert the name of your favorite defunct Disney attraction], I thought this would be a good time to review the differences between the old system and the new.

My last paper FastPass. Sniff, sniff.

Here is a roundup of how legacy paper FASTPASS (FP) and FastPass+ (FP+) are different.

Ability to Obtain the Reservation in Advance of Your Trip

With FP, you had to get your ride reservation in the park, on the day of your visit.
With FP+, some guests can make ride reservations as early as 60 days prior to their trip.

Guest Stratification

With FP, all guests had equal ability to obtain ride reservations.
With FP+, guests of the Disney resort hotels have priority ability to get reservations.

Ability to Get Ride Reservations at More Than One Park Per Day

With FP, you could Park Hop and get ride reservations at more than one of Disney’s theme parks during a single day.
With FP+, you are limited to obtaining ride reservations at one park per day.

Ability to Get More Than One Reservation for the Same Ride

With FP, you could get a ride reservation, use it, and then get another reservation for that same ride. The only limit was FP availability and the guest’s stamina.
With FP+, the computer system only allows you to make a reservation for a ride once per day.

A thing of the past.

Number of Ride Reservations Available to Each Guest

With FP, the upper limit of ride reservations was just the number of hours in the day.
With FP+, each guest has a limit of three ride reservations per day. (Note: Some guests have seen four reservations per day in testing. This may change.)

Location of Reservation Acquisition

With FP, guests had to physically visit a machine at each attraction to obtain a ride reservation.
With FP+, ride reservation acquisition has multiple points of entry. Disney resort guests can make reservations on their computer at home, or on a personal smartphone or tablet at home or in the parks. All guests can make reservations for any available attraction at kiosks throughout the parks. (Note: With the death of the paper FP, we can now also retire the related terms “FASTPASS runner” and “FASTPASS sacrifice.” R.I.P. Disney jargon.)

Number of Attractions Available for Reservations

With FP, the Magic Kingdom had 9 attractions (mid-2013 number) for which you could get a reservation.
With FP+, the Magic Kingdom has at least 25 attractions (early-2014 number) for which you can get a reservation.

Disney will have to change a lot of signage.

Ability to Select Reservation Times

With FP, the pass machines at the attractions controlled your reservation time. The only way to influence your reservation time was to stand at the attraction and wait for a later time if that was possibly more convenient for your party. Basically, it was a “you get what you get” situation.
With FP+, pending availability, you control the timing of your ride reservations.

Ability to Change Ride Reservation Times

With FP, once you got an attraction reservation time, you were stuck with it.
With FP+, pending availability, you can change the attractions for which you have reservations and you can change attraction reservation times.

Ability to Ride Headliner Attractions Late in the Day

With FP, on busy days all the reservations for popular attractions were fully allotted during the morning. Guests arriving at the park late in the day would have a long standby wait as their only method of experiencing an attraction. (There’s a possibility that off-site guests might still experience a version of this.)
With FP+, if you know you’ll be arriving at a park late in the day, you can make an afternoon or evening ride reservation time in advance, securing your ability to ride without a wait.

New FP+ kiosks are being moved into place.

Variability in the Attractions which Have Reservation Access

With FP, barring major opening/closing events, the attractions for which reservations were available generally remained static from day to day.
With FP+, Disney has the ability to change the attractions for which reservations are available on a daily, or even hourly basis. For example, Disney might decide to make Wishes a FP+ attraction only on weekends.

Transferability, Internal to Your Party

With FP, you could share your paper passes within your party. For example, if Anna loved Maelstrom but Elsa hated it, Elsa could use her park admission to get a FP for Maelstrom and then give it to Anna, allowing Anna to ride twice (possibly twice in a row). This does not impede Elsa’s later ability to acquire reservations for rides she enjoys.
With FP+, it becomes more challenging to share ride reservations. Theoretically, Elsa could make a reservation for Maelstrom and lend her card or MagicBand to Anna, allowing Anna to ride twice. However, two problems come along with this. One, if Elsa gives her ride reservation to Anna, then Elsa permanently loses one of her possible reservations for the day. And two, if Elsa wants to give her ride reservation to Olaf (he likes it even more than Anna does, snowmen are like that), when Olaf takes Elsa’s MagicBand to the FP+ terminal, the cast member attendant will see his monitor read “Elsa” when a male snowman goes through. This is potentially awkward.

Farewell, old friend.

Transferability, External to Your Party

With FP, if you were unable to use a ride reservation, you could give your paper ticket to a stranger in the park. This was a nice bit of Pixie Dusting It Forward.
With FP+, if you’re unable to make it to a ride reservation, you can change it to another time or another ride for yourself, but you’re not going to give your MagicBand to a stranger to let him use your reservation. Bye, bye random act of kindness.

Souvenirability (your fake SAT word of the day)

With FP, if you couldn’t use your ride reservation and there were no strangers around to be nice to, then you could put your paper ticket in your scrapbook as a nice illustration of your vacation.
With FP+, there’s one less free Disney souvenir.

Use It or Lose It

With FP, if you missed your reservation time, you lost that reservation forever.
With FP+, if you miss your reservation time, you maintain the ability to use that reservation. Use an in-park kiosk or your smartphone/tablet to change the time or attraction of an unused reservation, even after the reservation time has passed.

Type of Attraction for Which Reservations Are Available

With FP, the vast majority of attractions with reservation availability were headliner rides, plus a very few character greetings.
With FP+, the most attractions with reservation availability are still rides, but many of them are smaller or less popular rides. Additionally more character greetings, shows, fireworks, parades, and even a restaurant (Be Our Guest) have reservations available at least some of the time.

Lots of cast members are available to help during the FP+ transition.

Cutoff Time for Ride Reservation Access

With FP, if the passes for an attraction became fully dispensed, there would be no more reservations available for the day. There was no use checking back.
With FP+, if guests make reservations for an attraction, it may appear that the attraction is fully booked. But if guests then cancel/change their reservations during the day (I’ve done it myself many times, even for headliners), then those reservations will become available to other guests. Keep checking back.

Loseability (Loseableness?)

With FP, you received a paper ticket as proof of your ride reservation. If you physically lost the ticket, your reservation was gone.
With FP+, your ride reservation is retrievable from the Cloud. Even if you lose your card or MagicBand, you can get a new one from Guest Services and still have access to your ride reservation.

Data Collection

With FP, it was possible to have your ride reservation be totally anonymous. If you paid for your park ticket with cash, you could insert that ticket into FP machines, get paper passes, and Disney would gain no information about you or your habits.
With FP+, you have to create a Disney account to make a ride reservation and use an RFID enabled card/band to claim the reservation. Disney is collecting lots of data about you.

Ride Combination Limits (thanks to reader Brian for the reminder about this one)

With FP, you could get ride reservations for any combination of rides you wanted.
With FP+, guests are presented with a tiered ride selection process at some parks. For example, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, some attractions are in “column A” and some are in “column B.” You are allowed three FP+ reservations, but only in a configuration with one from A and two from B. The tiered structure prevents guests from making FP+ at all of the headliner attractions. Epcot has also used the A/B selection process.

Please bear in mind that FastPass+ is still in its infancy. The program is in flux and changes can happen at any time, possibly without warning, so take everything you learn with a grain of salt.

So pass wranglers … have you spotted any other differences between the FASTPASS and FastPass+ programs? Are you putting a few old paper passes in your safe deposit box so you can sell them on GoogleRetinaAuctions in 2058? Have you scheduled extra sessions with your therapist to work through your paper FASTPASS grief?

Let us know in the comments below.

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FASTPASS and FastPass+: What’s the Difference? is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.