Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1260
January 21, 2014
Observations Special Edition: Pop-Up Meet and Greet at Epcot
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Hey everyone! I wanted to bring you a special edition of Observations today. It’s a little departure from the photos of crowds and food and things that I usually take because I’ve been working on ways to show you the parks that mix it up so you don’t fall asleep ”walking” with me through Hollywood Studios or World Showcase. I went to Epcot yesterday to do some recon on a new restaurant and a couple of other menu-type things. I like getting pictures of characters, and I know that every once in a while a princess or a pixie will show up outside the large gate between the United Kingdom Pavilion and the Canada Pavilion in World Showcase.
You know. This gate.
I strolled by around 11, but there wasn’t anything going on. I hit Fountain View for a latte (see the menu) and made my way back, and, as I was passing an again-empty walkway, I heard someone talking from behind the gate. Just past the merchandise cart there’s a little break in the shrubbery, and you can actually see into the courtyard behind. Lo and behold, there was a cast member talking to either a very tall man with a hair shirt or Br’er Bear. Deciding it was less disturbing to assume it was the bear, I planted myself directly in front of the gate to see just what was up.
What happened next is one of the most Disney things I’ve seen in a long time. I’ve been coming to the parks since before I can remember, and while I hate throwing the word “magical” around too much (I close with it to be a little sassy), what transpired was definitely magical. First, a door to the right of the gate swung open, and Chip and Dale skipped out with a cast member.
Chip!
Chip and Dale! I love these guys.
While I’m never going to turn down a chance to say, “Hi!” to these two rascals, I knew there had to be more. Because, well, I could see feet and an orange hat through the crack in the gate! After a few laughs with the handful of us standing around (maybe 5 people?), the boys went up and knocked on the gate. And I kind of geeked out thinking I was going to get to see some friends.
If you scroll through the next few shots really fast, it’ll maybe look like exactly what I saw. Well, maybe not, but it was so awesome. The gates opened a little, and there was Br’er Bear!
And then they just kept opening! It should be noted here that I made some kind of high-pitched screechy noise. Just accept that it happened and keep scrolling.
TEN characters (don’t forget the chipmunks are there), with some you don’t see very often (hey there, Max and Mr. Smee!). There are some people who give these kinds of events value based on how many rare characters there are, but the second I saw Mickey and Minnie together, it was more than enough for me. I was transported back to the days of postcards on my bulletin board and dreaming about going to Disney World, and it was fantastic.
At this point, the meet and greet had drawn 30 or 40 people. The characters walked back down the pathway and proceeded to meet, greet, take pictures, sign autographs, and have great interactions.
The real story behind this is that these meet and greets are where many characters get their interaction training. But that’s not a lot of fun, so we’ll just leave it at being a whole lot of bang for your buck if you’re looking for photos and autographs with no lines. Because of the training aspect, it’s unlikely that you’ll see these kinds of meet and greets on super-busy days, but always be sure to look. This one started around 11:45 a.m. I’ll leave you with a fun photo of me and the mouse, and best wishes on having such an experience here. Until you do…Keep it Magical.
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January 20, 2014
Walt Disney World Crowd Report – January 12 to January 18, 2014
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It is not hard to see from our Crowd Level chart how Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the first holiday of the calendar year brings a bump in crowd levels. Wait times stayed below average each day until Friday and Saturday when they spiked to a ’5′ and ’7′ on our scale, respectively.
Let’s look at how the crowd levels stacked up day-to-day.
The Crowd Report
The Walt Disney World Crowd Report
January 12, 2014 to January 18, 2014
The beginning of the week brought a continuation of the low to moderate crowds of the previous week. The Resort-wide level was a ’3′, one less than the ’4′ we predicted. No park had wait times above a ’4′ although we did predict ’5′s at Magic Kingdom and Epcot. The Studios had the lowest crowd level as predicted. Toy Story Mania hit an average of 61 minutes, three less than the 64 minutes we estimated. This is about as slow as it gets and Walt Disney World’s most popular attraction.
Our resort prediction of a level ’4′ was correct on Monday, an indication that crowds are still staying below average, although Magic Kingdom did reach a level ’6′. Space Mountain and Jungle Cruise which both averaged 39 minutes were the two attractions that pushed the Magic Kingdom’s park-level one above our predicted ’5′. However, many other attractions actually came in with lower than expected averages like Peter Pan (51 minutes) and Big Thunder (40 minutes). Animal Kingdom hosted Extra Magic Hour morning but stayed very quiet at a level ’2′, the lowest level of the four parks, as predicted.
Tuesday’s numbers were even lower with a resort-wide ’2′ including a ’1′ at both Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. We did predict Magic Kingdom to be below average (4) but not that low. Only Peter Pan reached an average posted time above 20 minutes (31). Animal Kingdom was the best choice as our crowd calendar suggested. Every Animal Kingdom attraction was a level one on our scale except Dinosaur which hit an average posted time of 14 minutes which translates to a ’2′ for that attraction.
Wednesday matched Tuesday for the least crowded day of last week with a resort-wide ’2′ as well. The parks were all pretty even with a ’3′ for Magic Kingdom, and ’2′s for the other three parks. Our only predictions to miss the mark were Epcot (was a ’2′, predicted ’3′) and Animal Kingdom (was a ’1′, predicted ’2′) but missing by one is within normal error rates.
All predictions were within one index level again on Thursday although only Magic Kingdom’s prediction of ’5′ was bang-on. Interesting how Extra Magic Hour Morning at Magic Kingdom drew the largest crowd level of the four parks while Monday’s Extra Magic Hour Morning at Animal Kingdom was the lowest of the four. Thursday’s park levels went ’5′ for Magic Kingdom, ’2′ for Epcot and The Studios and ’4′ for Animal Kingdom.
Friday brought some slight increases to crowd levels with all of our predictions under-predicting by one level. Magic Kingdom was a ’6′ (predicted ’5′), Epcot a ’5′ (predicted ’4′), The Studios a ’4′ (predicted ’3′) and Animal Kingdom ’5′ (predicted ’4′). All this combined for a resort-wide level ’5′ on our scale, one higher than the predicted ’4′. Magic Kingdom had the highest level thanks to averages like 28 minutes at Haunted Mansion and 51 at Peter Pan’s Flight. The Studios had the lowest with observed averages of 13 minutes at Great Movie Ride and 74 minutes at Toy Story Mania.
The end of the week brought our biggest disappointment since the launch of Crowd Calendar 4 with a big miss at The Studios. We predicted ’3′ but posted times came in at a level ’8′. Our other predictions on Saturday were all within expected error ranges so this prediction sticks out like a sore thumb. Plus, our statistics tell us that a miss by five index levels should only happen once out of a thousand predictions. This error was partially due to an internal miscue with our database that we have since corrected. We apologize to anyone who chose to visit The Studios on Saturday based on our number. Resort-wide crowds were still only slightly above average, at a level ’7′, one higher than the ’6′ we predicted.
What to Expect This Week
January 19 to January 25, 2014
The bump in attendance we saw this weekend will fade a little each day until Wednesday when we return to below average wait times across the resort. In fact, the period between the end of the Martin Luther King Jr holiday and Valentine’s Day will see some of the lowest wait times of the year, with thin crowds that rival other slow periods like early September and mid-December.
To see Walt Disney World Crowd predictions for the days of your vacation, check the Crowd Calendar.
To get details about our predictions of future crowds or details about crowds in the past check out the Crowd Calendar and select “Jump to Date” on the left margin.
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Your FastPass+ Priorities at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
By Len Testa
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Disney’s Hollywood Studios begins exclusive use of FastPass+ on Tuesday, January 21. We’ve updated all of our Disney’s Hollywood Studios 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:
Toy Story Mania = 10 AM
Star Tours = 11 AM
Tower of Terror = 7 PM
The updated plans are very efficient – the average wait in line should be under 9 minutes per step during summer for our standard 1-day Unofficial Guide Touring Plan - with more than 2 hours of free time available in the afternoon.
Because the plans are so efficient, many of you will be able to see more rides each day. Look for new attractions such as The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow in most plans, and the return of The Magic of Disney Animation, which was usually the first thing to go when time was tight.
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 Studios’ chart:
So while FastPass+ is offered at more than a dozen Hollywood Studios attractions, there are really only four that you need to worry about most of the year. Here’s why.
It’s no surprise that our plans emphasize FastPass+ for Toy Story Mania. Families with children too small to ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster or Tower of Terror will make a beeline to Toy Story Mania first thing in the morning, and lines grow quickly. Waits at Toy Story can reach 90 minutes or more on a busy day. In fact, the lines at Toy Story Mania grow so fast that in about 1/3rd of our touring plans, we recommend getting a Toy Story Mania FastPass+ reservation for 9 AM to 10 AM, even when Toy Story is the first step in the plan. The two benefits to doing this are that you’ll shave off at least 10 minutes of waiting, and you don’t have to line up as early at the park entrance to join the mad run to Toy Story Mania.
Star Tours shows up on the chart because, like Peter Pan’s Flight, it’s not going to be anyone’s first choice to visit. For teens and adults especially, the initial morning priorities will be Toy Story, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror, possibly with Great Movie Ride while they’re in the area. That makes Star Tours a great choice for a mid- or late-morning FastPass+ reservation.
I really like how the touring plan software places Tower of Terror in the evening in many of our touring plans – generally from 7 PM to 8 PM. This allows you to focus on other attractions in the morning, which reduces your waits in line, and it makes for a short walk to Fantasmic! after you ride Tower of Terror at night.
Finally, the touring plan software thinks Great Movie Ride is a good FastPass+ choice for afternoon touring plans at the Studios, especially if you can get FastPass+ reservations for Toy Story, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, or Tower of Terror.
Why FastPass+ Isn’t Recommended at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
You’ll notice Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster isn’t in the chart. Why? Remember that the Studios puts its FastPass+ attractions into two groups (or “FastPass+ tiers”):
Group A (Choose 1 for FastPass+)
Toy Story Mania!
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage
Fantasmic!
Group B (Choose 2 for FastPass+)
The American Idol Experience
The Comedy Warehouse Holiday Special (Seasonal)
Disney Junior – Live on Stage
The Great Movie Ride
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Lights! Motors! Action! Extreme Stunt Show
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
You’re allowed to choose 1 FastPass+ attraction from Group A, and 2 attractions from Group B. And Toy Story Mania almost always has the longer waits, so it should be your FastPass+ choice in Group A most of the time.
If you can get FastPass+ reservations for Toy Story, Star Tours and Tower of Terror, our free Disney World touring plan software will usually make Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster your first stop, where you’ll find the lowest waits of the day.
Attractions That Never Need FastPass+ In Our Hollywood Studios Touring Plans
Including Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, most of the Studios’ attractions never require FastPass+ in our touring plans. Why? Most of them are shows, and the touring plan software does a good job of getting you to the show at least 15 minutes in advance (usually earlier for Fantasmic!). 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. Also, because you can get a FastPass+ reservation for either Fantasmic! or Toy Story Mania, you’ll almost always end up waiting less in line if you use the FastPass+ for Toy Story Mania.
The Best Times for FastPass+ Reservations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
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 Hollywood Studios touring plans use FastPass+ to avoid long lines (yellow=morning times, orange=afternoon):
Our touring plan software recommends Toy Story Mania before 11 AM on average. Doing that removes one bottleneck from your early morning schedule, and allows you to ride more headliner attractions while lines are still short. After you’re done with the headliners, Star Tours makes an excellent late morning FastPass+ choice for teens and adults. If you’ve got small children who meet Star Tours’ 40″ height requirement and you’re taking a mid-day break (as our touring plans suggest), then a late afternoon FastPass+ reservation at Star Tours will also help keep your waits low.
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 Hollywood Studios 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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My First Walt Disney World Annual Passholder FastPass+ Experience
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Based on how much this blog has covered the ongoing FastPass+ rollout at Walt Disney World over the past year or two, you might assume every member of the Touring Plans team already has enough MagicBands to decorate their Christmas tree (I’m looking at you, Morgan Crutchfield). But since I haven’t stayed in a Walt Disney World on-site hotel since before the MyMagic+ program began, I’ve been excluded…until now. As we reported, Animal Kingdom went FastPass+-only late last year, followed by the Magic Kingdom on Tuesday, January 14, and the rest of the parks will remove their paper legacy FASTPASS machines shortly. Now that the FastPass+ service has been opened to all guests, this acknowledged sceptic took the plunge with my first Annual Passholder FastPass+ experience.
Animal Kingdom
To be precise, my first FastPass+ adventure was an incomplete attempt that was unfair to judge the service by. Earlier in January, I tried using the service on one of the first days it was offered to off-site guests by visiting the kiosks outside Disney Outfitters on Discovery Island.
There was no wait, and a friendly cast member assisted me in using the touchscreen computer to enter my information and select three attractions.
I was surprised to see that in the middle of the afternoon on the last weekend of the holiday peak season, there were still FastPass times available for all the top attractions, excluding Kilimanjaro Safaris (which closes early).
The problem came when the CM tried to attach my FastPass+ profile to my annual pass. Even though I had a pass of recent vintage, complete with the requisite RFID chip to activate the new “touch point” entry turnstiles, and had registered my annual pass with the My Disney Experience app ahead of time, there was still some unspecified error.
The employee gave me a temporary card (with Donald Duck on it) to use FastPass+ for that day, and advised me to exchange my annual pass for a new one at Guest Services before departing the park. The entire process took a little more than five minutes.
Unfortunately, that was the day of Festival of the Lion King’s final performance at Camp Minnie Mickey, and I ended up skipping all of my FastPasses in order to wait for the last show. So I can’t judge how well the system would (or wouldn’t) have worked.
On my way to the exit, I visited Guest Services where my annual pass (which was marked with Mickey Mouse) was swapped for a new one (with Goofy). Before leaving, I verified that my new annual pass was FastPass+ compatible, in preparation for my next attempt.
Magic Kingdom
That attempt came a couple weeks later on Wednesday, Jan. 15. The Magic Kingdom’s full-time conversion to FastPass+ had begun the day before, and our Crowd Calendar predicted a mild 3 out of 10.
Upon showing my annual pass at the Magic Kingdom tollbooth, I was handed this FastPass+ informational flyer.
This was my first return to the Magic Kingdom since visiting Disneyland, and I had almost forgotten how long it takes to get into the park. Total time from entering Disney property to passing under the Main Street U.S.A. train station (including ferry trip with a educational and noisy view of Polynesian DVC construction) was approximately 45 minutes.
As an Orlando-based annual Passholder, I’m unlikely to arrive at rope drop and stay until close. My typical touring pattern is to visit for a few hours on non-peak days, using legacy FastPass to pack in as many attractions as possible. My goal for this visit was to test how many attractions FastPass+ would help an annual passholder like me experience during a 4-hour mid-day period, without the on-site guest’s advantage of advance booking.
I love the new gateless entry system, but it seems to confuse many guests and require at least as much labor as the old turnstiles.
In addition to installing My Disney Experience on my iPhone and registering my annual pass, I prepared by creating a quick personalized touring plan with a dozen of my favorite Magic Kingdom attractions. Upon optimizing, the software told me what I already knew: Peter Pan, Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad would be my top FastPass+ priorities.
I strolled up Main Street and swerved right into Tomorrowland, where Stitch’s Great Escape’s FASTPASS machines have been replaced by the park’s largest pod of permanent FastPass+ kiosks.
The line here was probably longer than any I’ve seen for the Stitch attraction itself, but it moved fairly swiftly thanks to numerous helpful CMs with additional portable tablets.
Total wait time: 3 minutes, 33 seconds.
This time, the kiosk recognized my pass right away, and immediately brought up my name. I was given the full list of attractions to chose from (but no dining, parade, or fireworks options).
I selected my aforementioned top picks.
The FastPass+ times the system initially suggested spread my schedule out longer than I liked, but option 3 was much better.
Look carefully through, because options 3 & 4 may change or remove some of your attraction choices.
Then I selected the Peter Pan, and was able to adjust it a further 45 minutes earlier.
I confirmed my choices, and entered my email address for a confirmation which arrived in my inbox a few minutes later.
The entire process went fairly smoothly, except for the computer’s touchscreen being frustratingly unresponsive (a problem across all the permanent kiosks).
An attentive CM also suggested taking a photograph of the kiosk screen, since Annual Passholders can’t use the My Disney Experience app’s FastPass+ function. As it turns out, that isn’t entirely true; your FastPass+ selections can’t be changed via the app, but you can view them through the “My Plans” tab.
Upon confirming my FastPass+ times, I opened the Lines app on my phone, where had selected the personalized touring plan I created earlier. I entered the three reservations (be sure to add all 3 before hitting “submit”) and waited for my plan to optimize around the FastPasses.
A minute later, my plan sent me to kill the few minutes before my first FastPass+ window by taking a cruise with the Pirates of the Caribbean.
The posted wait was 10 minutes; the actual wait was closer to 8.
I escaped the burning town just in time to take on Big Thunder with my first FastPass+. The posted wait was 30 minutes.
The FastPass+ sensors worked perfectly, sensing my annual pass without me even taking it out of my wallet. I later discovered I could activate it in my pocket by bumping my hip against the sensors, but that makes me wonder what kind of radiation Mickey might be sending through my nether regions…
My wait turned out to be just under 12 minutes, but most of that was due to a “brief operational delay.” Otherwise, it would have been about 5 minutes. On the down side, I did miss out on the standby queue’s explosive interactive effects.
After leaving Frontierland and cutting through Liberty Square…
The 8th wonder of Liberty Square: the backside of construction walls!
…to Fantasyland…
Peter Pan and Wendy are meet & greeting in their ride’s extended queue.
…I took another cruise, this one a little more cheerful.
A 9 minute wait at it’s a small world.
Once I finished banging my head against the concrete to get that song out of my head, I checked out the crowd around the Fantasyland FastPass+ service area in front of Mickey’s PhilharMagic.
This was by far the busiest FastPass+ service area I saw all day. There are only 2 permanent touch screens here, though there were a half-dozen cast members with handheld devices.
This FastPass+ spot gets quite congested, particularly because it’s in the path of the PhilharMagic exit. I’d suggest avoiding this location if possible.
I skipped the next step on my touring plan (I’m not a big fan of the Little a Mermaid ride anyway) in favor of lunch at Columbia Harbour House.
The lobster roll is one of my few exceptions to the rule that everything (at least in terms of counter service cuisine) is better at Disneyland. I like this sandwich more than its crustacean cousin at Anaheim’s Harbour Galley, and it’s over $3 cheaper to boot.
While perusing the park maps over lunch, I noticed that FastPass+ is so new that its participants aren’t yet correctly listed in the guide.
After eating, I checked out the Pete’s Silly Sideshow FastPass+ station, which turned out to be one of the least busy locations in the park.
If you have toddlers and are taking your time, consider taking the train here first thing to make your FastPass+ reservations.
While waiting for my Space Mountain reservation window, I took in a couple Tomorrowland shows that hardly ever have a wait.
I hadn’t seen Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor since Monsters University elements were added. The performers work hard, but I still still miss Timekeeper. (Heck, I miss If You Had Wings).
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress turns 50 years old in 2014! Sadly, some of the animatronics look it…
When it came time to use my Space Mountain FastPass+, I proceeded smoothly past a 20 minute standby line to my rocket ship.
A small army of cast members with touch pads are waiting in Space Mountain’s old FASTPASS area.
Finally it was time to use my Peter Pan FastPass+.
The standby line was posted at 45 minutes. My wait with FastPass+ was 7.
Thanks to Pan’s popularity and limited capacity, I rarely arrived in time to get a legacy FASTPASS for this early in the afternoon.
After returning from Never Land, I stumbled into the newest FastPass+ center in Liberty Square, formerly known as the Heritage House gift shop.
This location isn’t on any informational flyers yet, so it was almost deserted.
It may be a good choice if you are going to or from Frontierland.
I also inspected the FastPass+ station near the Diamond Horseshoe.
There are 4 kiosks in the passageway connection Frontierland and Adventureland.
This was already a congested walkway, and the FastPass line doesn’t help matters.
I ended my visit with the best animatronic animal band that never sold bad pizza:
Behold the Country Bear Jamboree!
On my way out of the park, I stopped by City Hall to enquire about annual Passholders’ ability to make advance reservations like on-site guests. I was assured that they “just started beta testing” but was given no time frame.
While there, I noticed a couple of unpublicized FastPass+ kiosks in the corner. I’m told there are more in the Town Square Theater, which were also not on the literature I received.
Conclusion
Overall, I was very apprehensive about FastPass+ in advance, but after trying it once I came away cautiously optimistic. I used 3 FastPass+ reservations, experienced 8 attractions total — a mix of headliners, moderately popular rides, and minor attractions — and ate a meal in a four hour span. That’s about on par with my average afternoon on a similarly busy day using legacy FASTPASS, but I accomplished it with a lot less effort expended. If I was attending for a full operating day I might have been able to use five or more FASTPASSes under the old system, but as an short-time visitor I feel I (or at least my shoes) really benefited from the one-stop convenience FastPass+. But I won’t be fully sold on the system until I can book my rides times from home the night before (I’m ok with 180-day pre-bookings being reserved for hotel guests).
Here are my hints for using FastPass+ as an Annual Passholder or offsite guest:
Download My Disney Experience to your smartphone, set up an account, and tie it to your ticket number before arriving at the park.
Create a personalized touring plan with the attractions you want to visit, and let the optimizer determine your FastPass+ request priorities.
Visit a FastPass+ kiosk upon entering the park, or after your first couple E-tickets if arriving at rope drop.
If one FastPass+ station is busy try another. Fantasyland and Frontierland were busier than Liberty Square and Storybook Circus.
Select your desired attractions at the kiosk, and don’t be afraid to keep adjusting options until you get times you like.
Once your FastPass reservations are booked, enter them into your personalized touring plan in Lines and re-optimize.
You can view your FastPass+ reservations in My Disney Experience under “My Plans,” but not edit them.
FastPass+ times can be adjusted via a kiosk at any time (reportedly even if you miss your window, though I have not tested this), but once you use all three you are done for the day.
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January 19, 2014
Trip Planning 101: How to Budget for Your Disney World Vacation
By Erin Foster
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Let’s face it, a trip to Walt Disney World can be an expensive undertaking; a good budget can mean the difference between a relaxing vacation and a major migraine.
There are plenty ways to conserve funds and still have a magical vacation. I’m going to walk you through the process of creating a budget for your trip, and suggest some areas of potential savings. What you should know right off the bat is that planning an accurate and economical trip budget is going to involve some math, some research, and possibly some hard decisions. As a first step, download the TouringPlans Budget Planning Worksheet.
You’ll see that there are seven main areas in which you’ll spend money on your vacation:
Transportation
Lodging
Theme Park Tickets
Food
Activities
Souvenirs
Miscellaneous
Let’s go through these one by one to see where you can find information on obvious costs and hidden costs, as well as where you can find information on ways to save money.
TRANSPORTATION
The main get-to-Disney transportation options are flying vs. driving. In some cases, the choice will be clear; if you’re coming from Tampa then you’re driving, if you’re coming from the UK then chances are you’re going to fly (or get very wet 
). However, for most of the rest of us, the decision may not be so easy.
Your ultimate choice must be based on real numbers – not only the cost of plane tickets vs. gas, but also factoring in all related expenses. For example, if you’re flying, you’ll need to get on the phone or search the airline website for hidden fees such as baggage or onboard snack charges. Fliers should also consider the cost of parking or taking a taxi to the airport, tipping for baggage handlers, and other related expenses. Even if you are using frequent flier miles, many of these ancillary charges will apply. You may also want to consider the opportunity cost of using frequent flier miles. Would using your miles for this trip impede your ability to take a more expensive trip later on?
Drivers must consider not only the cost of gas, but also meals on the road, wear and tear on the car, and possibly more on-the-road entertainment. Longer drives may even include a night in a hotel along the way, depending on the length of the drive and the number of drivers in your party. For a good rough estimate of gas cost on your trip, try consulting AAA’s Fuel Cost Calculator.
Additionally, your fly/drive decision will impact transportation charges once you’re in Orlando. For example, if you’re flying and staying at a Disney resort hotel, you have the option to use Disney’s free Magical Express bus service to get you to your hotel. If you’re flying and staying off-site, you’ll need to pay for a car service or rent a car to get to your hotel. If you’re driving and staying off-site, you will need to pay for parking at the theme parks (unless you are a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder) and possibly also at your hotel. The Swan and Dolphin are particularly notorious for their steep parking rates.
When looking at the cost of flying, there are now dozens of online tools and apps that can help you locate the most cost effective flight. Popular choices include Kayak, Google Flight, Trip Advisor, Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, and Travelocity. You may want to check out a recent New York Times comparison of air travel search sites. These tools make it easy to experiment with your flights to find the best deal. Try playing with departure dates or number of connections. Sometimes a Saturday night stay or a brief stopover can save you hundreds of dollars.
If you decide to fly to Orlando, many of the sites above also offer discounted rental car opportunities. When renting a car, be sure to check your personal auto insurance policy and your credit card benefits. These often make the purchase of insurance on a rental car redundant. Declining insurance on the rental can also provide big savings.
LODGING
As a starting point, log on to disneyworld.com and get a price for your preferred hotel during your travel dates. This will tell you the standard “rack rate” for the room. You’ll also want to check the room and package special offers page of the Disney website. This highlights the promotions Disney itself is offering.
A little more sleuthing can often uncover discounted prices on the exact same room. Twice this year I have saved about $20 per night at the Pop Century simply by booking through Expedia rather than through Disney directly. I had no loss of Disney benefits, I still got Magical Express service, Extra Magic Hours, and the like, I just paid less for them.
If you’re looking for room discounts, try asking a travel agent or using one of the online services listed in the transportation section. Additional discounts might be available for Disney annual pass holders or AAA members. The wonderful independent website mousesavers.com is another great source of discount information. You may even want to tinker with the timing of your reservation as a cost variable.
Another rule-of-thumb is that if cost is your primary concern, then staying at an off-site hotel may be a big money saver. While this often the case, be aware that some off-site hotels tack on additional fees not represented in the room rate. For example, the non-Disney-owned Swan and Dolphin hotels add a host of incremental charges to your bill. These add-ons can add up fast. Before you settle on an off-site stay, pick up the phone and ask what additional fees you might expect.
THEME PARK TICKETS
The best place to start for park ticket pricing is the TouringPlans.com Ticket Calculator. The Ticket Calculator makes it easy play around with variables and see the real price differences between several choices. For example, a few clicks will show you that once you’re visiting for several days, the price of adding another park day has minimal impact on your admission ticket price.
While you’re figuring out how much park tickets will cost, don’t forget to consider the price of the popular evening parties at the Magic Kingdom if you’ll be traveling during the fall or winter. You’ll also want to consider the price of admission to other nearby attractions if you’ll be venturing off campus to see the Wizarding World at Universal Studios, SeaWorld, LegoLand, or NASA.
Another area worth investigating is the purchase of a Disney World annual pass. Annual Pass holders are allowed discounts on items including some room rates, some tours, some dining, and much more. Depending on your situation, buying an annual pass work as a savings tool, even if you won’t need to fully use it for park admission. Check out our post, When Does A Walt Disney World Annual Pass Make Sense for more thoughts on this.
FOOD
Planning your food budget takes some serious number crunching. Some Disney guests swear by the Disney Dining Plan (available to guests staying at the Walt Disney World resort hotels), but by no means does the Dining Plan make sense for everyone. To see if the plan is right for you, take a few minutes to look at our detailed menus and pricing for Disney restaurants. Ask yourself some questions and map out a few days of sample eating for your family. Will we eat full breakfast or will a muffin and coffee do? Will we eat dessert with lunch and/or dinner? Can our children share a meal? Do we eat appetizers? … and so on. By really pricing out several days of eating, you can extrapolate your actual food budget needs.
Don’t forget to factor in the cost of snacks you bring from home or buy at a local grocery, as well as the price of tips and alcoholic beverages, which are not included on the Dining Plan. Be aware that many Disney restaurants tack on a surcharge during peak seasons such as the winter holidays.
On the cost savings side, many restaurants offer discounts to Disney Vacation Club members, Disney annual pass holders, Disney Visa holders, and other affiliations. If you’re an annual pass holder or Florida resident, you’re eligible to purchase the Tables in Wonderland discount card, which has been a huge saver for my family. I ALWAYS ask my server what discounts are available.
One cost savings measure might not be all it’s cracked up to be. I’m talking about “Free Dining,” a promotion that Disney has run several times in recent years. I’m going to leave it up to the extremely capable Tom Bricker, who does a great job of explaining the pros and cons of free dining.
ACTIVITIES
While there is certainly plenty to do at Walt Disney World with just your theme park tickets, there are also many ways to enhance your experience with activities and entertainment. And, no surprise, many of these items cost money. For example, strolling through Downtown Disney is free. But then your child sees the oh-so-enticing-and-not-so-free Characters in Flight balloon and begs for a ride. For my family of five with older children, that 10-minute ride is $90 proposition.
Of course the best way to economize on these activity extras is to simply say “no,” but you may want to indulge a bit with that balloon ride, a visit to the spa, or a round of golf. Pricing for these items is readily available online or with a call to 407-W-DISNEY. Factor them into your budget if you’re planning to partake. If you’re in anti-budget mode, you may want to see how much it would cost to do ALL the extras at Disney World.
SOUVENIRS
The purchase of souvenirs is another area where saying “no” is your biggest budgeting tool. However, as I discussed in a previous post, coming home with absolutely no souvenirs is unrealistic. You can use our guide to souvenir pricing to get a better idea of how much you’ll want to set aside for take-home items. And remember, there are many souvenirs you can find at Disney World that will cost you absolutely nothing. Check here to learn more about free things at Disney.
While you’ll likely not get away without souvenirs for your kids, you can often skip souvenirs for friends at home. Does your dog walker really want a Mickey sweatshirt? Do you absolutely have to bring a mug back for your child’s teacher? You may be able to easily trim these items from your budget.
MISCELLANEOUS
This is where everything else settles: stroller rentals, PhotoPass or Memory Maker purchases, shipping fees, kennels, and so on. Not all of them will apply to all guests. As with nearly everything else in your budget, it pays to shop around for these miscellaneous items. For example, there are several ways to save money over renting a stroller from the Disney parks. You can save money on airline baggage fees by doing some laundry while on vacation, but then you’ll need to factor the cost of washing into you budget. Again, play around with numbers to see what works for you.
So what’s your budgeting process? Where have you found ways to cut corners? What do you spend money on that I forgot to include? Let us know in the comments below.
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January 18, 2014
SATURDAY SIX: Six Disney Obsessions We Just Don’t Understand
By Derek Burgan
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This week’s SATURDAY SIX looks at Six Disney Obsession We Just Don’t Understand. As resident theme park fans, we here at the Saturday Six understand obsessions. We collect park maps. We save our old hotel room keys. We get a new Disney ornament for our Christmas tree every single year. However, there are some Disney Obsession we don’t quite understand fully, and today we’re going to look at six of them. (PLEASE NOTE: these views have been determined after an exhaustive study by the Saturday Six staff and do not necessarily reflect the view pionts of TouringPlans as a whole or any other individual, especially Len Testa who thinks we are nuts with # 3…)
Turkey Leg Sweatshirt
# 6 – The Turkey Leg Phenomenon
Now, the Turkey Leg made our list of the Top Six Most Iconic Snacks at the Magic Kingdom but what we don’t understand is all the ancillary products that have also come out for the turkey leg including wallets, hats, t-shirts, pins, sweatshirts, and air fresheners…yes, AIR FRESHENERS.
Who is buying this stuff? Who outside of Oscar Meyer himself wants his car to smell like a turkey leg? Even the legendary Dole Whip doesn’t seem to have a fraction of the merchandise that the turkey leg does. May we suggest an immediate stoppage of any future turkey leg products and instead look at other food items on Disney property including the cronut, arancini, zebra domes or school bread?
# 5 – Disney’s Contemporary Resort
How much a night?
One of the most amazing theme park hotels ever made, does Disney’s Contemporary Resort of today justify the price you have to pay for a room? It doesn’t seem to matter what Disney charges; we tried to book a room for Saturday, January 18th 2014 to get a price quote and got No rooms available. So we tried Saturday, January 25th and got prices starting at $361 per night but quickly jumping up to $469 and $559 for rooms not looking out at a parking lot. Club Level? $700. Keep in mind many of the more expensive rooms were already sold out. This is in January, what most of us would consider an off-season.
You’re paying Deluxe level prices, but you are getting a level of traffic and noise that the Grand Floridian and Polynesian don’t suffer from because of Bay Lake Tower, Chef Mickey’s, and how the Contemporary is laid out. Fantasia Gifts is closer to the Universal’s temporary Studios store than the well done gift shops at other Disney resorts.
There are a lot of positives to staying at the Contemporary, but is it worth the prices you’ll be paying? We’re not exactly sure on that one.
# 4 – Jack and Sally Meet n’ Greet
Photo credit: Walt Disney World
Meet n’ greets are becoming a larger part of the theme park experience by the day, to the point where they have been incorporated into the FastPass+ system. Gone are the days of just running into characters and now you need to plan out your trip if there are certain characters that you or your kids must meet as some of the characters draw extremely long lines. One of the biggest draws currently is the Nightmare Before Christmas’ Jack Skellington and Sally. in 2012 Jack and Sally were at Downtown Disney and drew huge lines as guests waited hours to meet them. Last year they moved on into the parks as special characters for the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and again drawing big crowds with waits of up to three hours.
Are they worth it? Rare characters are fun to meet, and recently runDisney marathon runners got to have pictures taken with Launchpad McQuack and Darkwing Duck, two characters who seem to be locked in the vault with the movie Song of the South. For the Saturday Six staff, our biggest hurdle in justifying these wait times for Jack and Sally is that Tim Burton’s movies just don’t scream “Disney.” Everyone loves Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow, but who is clamoring for his portrayal of the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland? Maybe it’s just us, but while we can see wanting to wait hours to get a picture with all the seven dwarfs, Huey, Dewey, and Louie or even Chicken Little, waiting a long time for Jack and Sally just doesn’t make sense. Not to mention just looks more than a little bit creepy, right?
# 3 – IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
I feel like I’ve seen this show before…
We can almost hear the hate mail being typed now, but hold on, we’re not saying IllumiNations is a bad show, just that it’s the same show we’ve all seen a thousand times and needs to be updated, if only to change the seemingly never ending slow part in the middle. [Len responds: "On behalf of all IllumiNations fans, we'd like to thank Derek for his time here at TouringPlans.com, and we hope he gets the psychological counseling he so obviously needs."]
# 2 – VInylmation
There are almost an unlimited amount of things to collect in the Disney fan universe. Pins, plush, Mickey ears, prints, statues, “toothpick holders,” golf balls and pretty much every other item you can imagine. One of the more popular collectibles is vinylmation, which is so popular it has an entire store at Downtown Disney - D-Street – dedicated to it.
No one is a bigger fan of the classic design of Mickey Mouse than those of us at the Saturday Six. One of the most recognizable characters in the world. However, the “Mickey Mold” that Disney uses for its vinylmation series just makes almost all of the other characters just look weird. The individual artists do what they can, but they are severely hampered by the unique shape of Mickey Mouse, especially his ears. Disney has put out the “Park Starz” series of vinylmation, where the artists can create any design they want without being shackled by any mold, and we think these are incredible across the board with our favorites being Orange Bird, Star Tours’ Captain Rex, Big Al, and The Bride.
# 1 – Toy Story Midway Mania
Toy Story Midway Mania is a good ride, but it has the long waits of a great ride. The mad rush to TSMM is the closest thing on property to Pamplona’s running of the bulls and recently Len Testa described the amazingly fast disappearance of TSMM legacy FastPasses on an episode of WDWToday. Walt Disney World is full of incredible attractions. Whether it’s Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain, the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, or any one of a dozen rides that clearly show us “The Disney Difference,” TSMM is just a screen based shooter that has variations on the exact same game throughout.
So there you have it: Six Disney Obsessions We Just Don’t Understand. See you next weekend for the latest edition of the Saturday Six, where we’ll be looking at the upcoming Diagon Alley over at Universal Studios Florida. If you had fun, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! articles or, for your listening pleasure, check out Pardon the Pixie Dust podcast.
Special thanks to Morgan Crutchfield and Universal NOW!’s Brandon Glover for their assistance with this article.
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PotterWatch: London Waterfront Facade Unveiled & HateToFly’s Top 5 Predictions
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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley London Waterfront facade as seen from Springfield USA.
Welcome back to another PotterWatch update! It’s been a momentous week in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, as construction scaffolding in front of Diagon Alley was finally dismantled, and Universal Studios Florida’s London Waterfront facade unveiled. We also have a few of the latest rumors, plus a special bonus feature with Internet informant HateToFly.
London Waterfront Facade
On the night of January 16, Universal Orlando removed the last of the scaffolding covering Diagon Alley, allowing us to bring you these fresh photos of the London Waterfront facade.
First panoramic pic of Diagon Alley’s London Waterfront facade unveiled.
Work will continue on detailing the buildings using personal lifts, but the London landmarks that conceal the attractions of Diagon Alley will be visible in (almost) all their glory to guests of next weekend’s Celebration of Harry Potter event.
Now that the facades are largely complete, the next question is when the ground in front of them will be finished, so that the construction walls can be moved back.
There’s still plenty to do before the rumored cast member soft opening before Memorial Day weekend.
The main entrance to Diagon Alley is under the two red arches.
Rumors
As Universal’s January 23 webcast about the Wizarding World project approaches, rumors are flying fast and furious, fanned by the park’s latest teaser trailer:
Here is some of the latest buzz from around the web:
“Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts” has been suggested as the name for the bank vault ride.
Despite earlier public statements that he would not participate, sources say Daniel Radcliffe may have contracted to appear in the new attractions after all.
Universal Orlando is holding auditions on 1/25 & 26 for performers to fill Diagon Alley roles, including actors with a Caribbean accents — presumably to voice the interactive shrunken head hanging in the Knight Bus, which will be parked in front of the Diagon Alley entrance.
Zonko’s Joke Shop in Hogsmeade could close soon and be converted into a food/merchandise opportunity.
Finally, HateToFly hints that “The Fountain of Fair Fortune” and “The Hopping Pot” will be locations found within Diagon Alley.
Bonus: HateToFly’s Top 5 Future Universal Project Predictions
Speaking of our favorite friendly font of future info, here’s the promised follow-up from my recent rumor tour around Universal Orlando with Orlando United contributor HateToFly. He was kind enough to share exclusively with Touring Plans readers his top-five game-changing additions that he predicts will arrive at the Universal Orlando resort over the next few years:
Diagon Alley: You may think you know everything there is to know about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion at Universal Studios Florida, but “there is so much more.” The “biggest and best” thing Universal has ever built (not to mention the most expensive) will “raise the bar on the immersion factor” and “blow your socks off visually.” Moreover, you going to experience cutting-edge interactive content “every single step of the way.” This summer’s opening of Diagon Alley will finally make both Universal parks full-day experiences, and then some.
King Kong: This planned “mashup of ideas cut from previous attractions” will resurrect the big ape in Islands of Adventure’s Jurassic Park (behind the Thunder Falls Terrace restaurant) with a budget approaching $150 million. The ride will feature both dark-ride scenes with animatronics, and a 3-D encounter with Kong modeled on the Universal Studios Hollywood tram tour. Look for a groundbreaking late this year, with the attraction opening in summer 2016.
Jurassic Park: Before the monkey makes it here, Jurassic Park will get a makeover to tie in with the planned 2015 theatrical release of Jurassic World. A “lightly-themed Gravity Group family wooden roller-coaster with Timberliner trains” will rise on the former Triceratops Encounter, adorned by new rock work, water features, and repurposed dinosaur animatronics. Thunder Falls Terrace is also slated to get a new menu.
Fifth Hotel: A new resort hotel (theme and class TBD) may break ground between the Royal Pacific and Cabana Bay before year’s, possibly opening before 2017.
Water Park: Following Kong, look for Universal Orlando to begin building a new water park within 3 to 5 years, probably on land it acquired around Wet & Wild. Universal has filed trademarks for the name “WonderSea Island” and patented some wild new water slide designs. HTF says Universal “wants to use their own properties” to theme the park; Despicable Me’s Minions would be a natural fit.
Looking deeper into the crystal ball, a revamp of KidZone is likely at least 2 or 3 years away, though E.T. may want to phone home to Spielberg about his long-term future. Finally, the expansion plot behind Men In Black probably won’t be developed at least until the end of the decade.
As always, remember that all rumors and reporting on unannounced projects is purely for entertainment purposes; don’t book your vacation based solely on something said here until Universal officially confirms it!
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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January 17, 2014
In Case You Missed It: Disney News and Rumors – Week of January 17, 2014
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Did you participate in the Walt Disney World Marathon? Are you running in the Tinker Bell Half? Just running around your neighborhood? No matter what, here’s the Disney News and Rumors you missed for the week.
In Case You Missed It – Disney News and Rumors
It’s hopefully coming soon! Frozen is supposed to be headed to Broadway, as Bob Iger shares in this interview with Fortune, along with a few other tidbits about how much of a success this new film has been. (I mean, who hasn’t had “Let It Go” on replay since they saw the movie?)
Time had a great article about the 17 Most Influential Burgers Of All Time. Number 17 on the list? The Krusty Burger from Universal Studios Florida. See why it, as well as the others chosen, made the list. (Mmm…Krusty Burger…..)
We all love a good rumor and over at Moviefone, they discussed what very well could be on track for the Star Wars experiences that are supposed to at least be headed for Tomorrowland at Disneyland. It will be interesting to see what happens when plans eventually officially get announced.
Speaking of Disneyland, who doesn’t love a good vintage photo from the park? The LA Times had nine great vintage Disneyland photos in its Throwback Thursday article this week. In another Throwback Thursday post, did you know that at one point, United Airlines had helicopters that flew TO Disneyland? What?! Ok, this is cool.
Most people familiar with Disney Imagineering know who Joe Rhode is. He’s the guy you always see wearing the really big earring. On his blog this week, he shares with us a bit about the importance of his most recognizable feature.
Ah, Avatar….the proverbial Animal Kingdom topic of discussion. Whether you’re for it or against it, ground broke just last week on the new land. (So, it appears to be coming, like it or not.) I came across two interesting articles this week relating to this topic. One is why Disney’s Animal Kingdom May Need More Than Just Avatar. I think the author makes some decent points. The second is more related to the sequels to the hit movie, as here is a little information about what movie-goers can expect, some of which may eventually come into play when Disney unveils this new land.
While most people think of Disney Cruise Line for kids, it’s actually a perfect spot for adults. According to the NY Daily News, Disney Cruise Line is listed as the number 6 most romantic cruise line. (I know I would have to agree…I’ve taken two cruises on the Disney Dream and have no kiddos in tow. Both experiences have had extremely romantic elements to them, mixed right in with the fun of Disney.)
In Case We Missed It
What did we miss? Send your idea attached to this Mickey Mouse Icon Ring in White Gold and send both to blog@touringplans.com with the words “In Case You Missed It” in the subject line.
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This Week On TouringPlans YouTube Channel: Trolleys, Riverboats, Jim Hill, and More!
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Every Friday on the TouringPlans Blog we bring you the week’s newest videos from our YouTube channel. Let’s get started!
I review the Red Car Trolley Playset based on the fabulous Red Car Trolleys in Disney California Adventure! Is it worth the $140 price tag? Find out in my review!
Enjoy a very rare nighttime ride down Main Street USA on a horse-drawn streetcar! This only happens a couple of weeks out of the year!
More videos after the jump:
Speaking of nighttime rides, enjoy a rare night ride on the Mark Twain Riverboat around Rivers of America at Disneyland!
In this week’s episode, Len Testa and Jim Hill discuss rumors about Rivers of America in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Will it stay around or will its huge size be used for expansion? Find out in this week’s Ask Jim Hill.
That’s all for this week. We add new videos to the channel several times a week. Be sure to head to http://youtube.com/touringplans and subscribe!
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FastPass+ Coming For All Guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot
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Bye Bye FASTPASS Machines
As MyMagic+ continues to move forward, according to reliable sources both inside and outside Disney, FastPass+ will be rolled out for both on-site and off-site guests at both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot within the next week. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is expected to make the change over on January 21, and Epcot is expected to become all FastPass+ starting on January 23. This means that Legacy FASTPASS machines that distribute paper FASTPASS tickets will be turned off, and guests will only be able to make FastPass+ reservations.
If off-site guests would like to make a FastPass+ reservation, they will need to visit one of the FastPass+ kiosks found within the park to reserve their ride times on the day they visit the park. Much like the previous roll outs, non-Disney resort guests will currently not be able to use the My Disney Experience app or website to make FastPass+ reservations. To make a FastPass+ reservation, off-property guests will need to use their RFID-enabled ticket to access the FastPass+ kiosks, as they do not currently have access to MagicBands.
Guests who are staying at a Disney resort will have the ability to make FastPass+ reservations up to 60 days in advance via the My Disney Experience app or website. If they have not made them ahead of time, they can also do so in the parks at the FastPass+ kiosks.
Like previous testing, guests will only be able to obtain 3 FastPass+ reservations per day, all at the same park. Unlike at the other two Walt Disney World parks, both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios have a tiered system set up, which is set to continue. At both parks, guests must choose ONE attraction from Column A and TWO attractions from Column B
Here’s the line up of attraction groupings you can choose from:
Epcot
Column A (Choose ONE preference)
IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
Epcot Character Spot
Maelstrom
Soarin’
Test Track
Column B (Choose TWO preferences)
Captain EO
Journey Into Imagination with Figment
Living with the Land
Mission: SPACE
Spaceship Earth
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Turtle Talk with Crush
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Column A (Choose ONE option)
Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage
Fantasmic!
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Toy Story Mania!
Column B (Choose TWO options)
American Idol Experience
Disney Junior – Live on Stage
The Great Movie Ride
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show
Muppet*Vision 3D
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
All of our Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios touring plans will be updated to remove Legacy FASTPASS information. In the updated versions, we’ll provide suggestions for which FastPass+ attractions to prioritize. Legacy FASTPASS functionality has been removed starting on the aforementioned dates in our free computer-optimized Disney World touring plans software.
Full in park testing for all guests has been taking place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom since December 18 and at the Magic Kingdom since January 14.
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