Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1267

Camp Minnie-Mickey To Officially Close January 6

By Rikki Niblett

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©Disney

In a move that surprises no one who’s been following along, Camp Minnie-Mickey, a land found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be closed starting on January 6.  (The last day of operations will be January 5.)

With this closure, the characters that were available for meet and greets will be moving to different locations around the park.

Pocahontas will be able to be found along the Discovery Island Trail.
King Louie & Baloo from The Jungle Book will be greeting guests along Bradley Falls between Asia and Africa.
Chip ‘n’ Dale will move to Rafiki’s Planet Watch on the walkway from the train station to Conservation Station.  In addition, musician Gi-Tar Dan will be relocated here too.
Donald Duck will move to the Cretaceous Trail in Dinoland U.S.A. where guests can join him for a photo with Cory the dinosaur.

As a reminder, Festival of the Lion King will also have its last performance at the current location in Camp Minnie-Mickey on January 5.  The show will then be dark for about 6 months and, when it reopens, will be found in a new theater located in the Africa section of the park.

Camp Minnie-Mickey was always supposed to be a temporary land. The area will reopen in 2017 as The World of Pandora, otherwise known as Avatarland.

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Observations from Animal Kingdom: Sunday, December 15, 2013

By Morgan Crutchfield

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Date: December 15, 2013

Weather: High 70°F, low 45°F

Crowd Level: 3

With temperatures cooling off for a bit, I decided to head to Animal Kingdom. The park tends to get very close when it’s hot, and the cooler weather was welcome even though the sun was in and out all day. I admittedly don’t spend a lot of time in this park, as it’s my least favorite, but I wanted to see the Christmas decorations and get a feel for the changes that are happening around the park.

First things first: the Christmas Tree. Animal Kingdom’s version is outside the entrance touch points and is a pretty cool sight. I’m a big fan of the animal ornaments mixed with snowflakes.

Look for the possibility of some congestion at the entrances and FastPass+ kiosks this week starting the 18th as Animal Kingdom tests FastPass+ for day guests. Lower crowd levels in general should keep things fairly smooth, but it is something to watch for.

Once inside, I started on a tour of the shops. The shops at Animal Kingdom all seem so big and airy, and I really like the outside theming. And, you know, Christmas decorations!

After my son dragged me out of the shops, we stopped at the Wilderness Explorers shack to pick up a new guidebook. If you haven’t tried Wilderness Explorers yet, be sure to do so. It’s a really fun adventure for kids of all ages that helps you explore the park and make it a full day of fun. I tested the game when it first came out and had a lot of fun, even on my own. You’ll receive a fun illustrated guidebook with a series of “badges” (awesome stickers) to earn at locations all over the park. After learning the secret handshake, you’re off to learn all about different animals and the conservation effort that starts with you! We have found that each time we play, we meet different cast members who are all incredibly enthusiastic to share what they know and what’s special about Animal Kingdom. I really can’t say enough about the experience.

Our first badge was the Flamingo badge, one of my favorite not only because of the gorgeous animals, but also because there’s some very cool information to be learned in earning your badge.

We headed down to Camp Minnie-Mickey to check out some of the snack changes at the food vendors. On the way, we spotted some friends. The nephews have always been my favorites, with their hilarious hijinks, and there’s never a bow too big for a hiking hat, I always say.

The Camp Minnie-Mickey area was decorated with a whole bunch of great Christmas additions, including these character trees.

 

We didn’t get a chance to check out Festival of the Lion King because we were hoping to catch the parade, but if you’re going to be visiting Animal Kingdom before January 5, be sure to make time to see it; the show closes on January 5 for six months or more so that it can be moved to its new theater.

The park was relatively uncrowded until we got back to Africa, where the crowd levels picked up a bit around Kilimanjaro Safaris and the entrance to Pangani Forest Exploration Trail.

We decided it was a good time to stop for a snack after making it through the crowd, and we picked Kusafiri Coffee’s Lion Cupcake (see menu). It was a great cupcake, but we didn’t even make it through half. It’s incredibly dense devil’s food cake with vanilla buttercream, dark chocolate shavings, and a white chocolate lion pop that would have been a snack in itself. Get a fork. You’ll need it.

By the time we finished snacking, it was time to find a good spot for the parade. The parade route travels counter-clockwise from the first-aid station past DinoLand, Asia, and then Africa. While you might have to wait a bit for the parade to get to you, finding a spot in Africa is a great bet because there tends to be a big pileup in Asia, with not as much room marked off for viewing. If you haven’t seen Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade, be sure that you do. It’s an exciting mix of Festival of the Lion King and a more typical character parade. The narrower paths of Animal Kingdom and smaller crowds allow for direct character interaction, too, which makes it a neat experience.

Once the parade had jingled by we made our way through Asia to DinoLand, U.S.A. When you have a ten-year-old boy, you try to stay away from things that look like giant arcades, and it seemed like I wasn’t the only parent who had that idea. I made it by with a, “Gosh, we have to get to dinner!” Food wins when they’re growing.

We ate dinner at the Rainforest Cafe and had a meal that solidified my opinion that the restaurant is good for drinks and appetizers and not much else. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more observations posts directly from Walt Disney World. Until then, keep it magical!

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A Few Transportation Notes For Walt Disney World

By Rikki Niblett

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©Rikki Niblett

A couple of things have been brought to my attention in regards to transportation at Walt Disney World that I thought you should all be aware of since it could potentially impact your 2014 vacations.

First off, the brand new bus loop at the Magic Kingdom opened about a month ago. Because of  this third bus loop, there has been some shifting in regards to which bus stops are where now.  Make sure to check the directory for the load zone you are looking for.

With the addition of the new loop, it allows for direct transportation from the Magic Kingdom to the other three theme parks.  This means that park to park buses will no longer need to be taken at the Transportation and Ticket Center any longer.

Those wishing to take the Disney’s Hollywood Studios bus can find it at load zones 4 and 5.  Those wishing to take a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom can head to load zone 6.  The Epcot bus will be found at load zone 9.  (Only available when the Epcot monorail loop is down.)  Guests who wish to visit Epcot should do so via the monorail, by heading to the Transportation and Ticket Center and switching over to that monorail loop.  This is the current set up, but it could change at any time, so make sure to check the directory on your trip.

The second piece of news involves the monorails, as beginning January 21, monorail service will be severely impacted.   Both the Magic Kingdom Resort Loop, as well as the Express Loop  will be temporarily unavailable to guests during non-peak times on weekdays – from 11:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.  These beams will be unavailable to guests as Disney will be conducting planned maintenance work.

During the monorail closures, additional buses and watercraft will be available for guests to use.  This work on both monorail beams is expect to last until the end of March 2014 (weather permitting.)

For those wishing to use Epcot’s beam, it will be unaffected and will have normal operating hours.

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Tortuga Tavern Offering Island Dinner Buffet During Holidays

By Rikki Niblett

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During the Holiday season at Walt Disney World, many restaurants that are often closed or that offer up limited menus during the majority of the year, will be open fully to accommodate the exceptionally busy time period. Such is the case with Tortuga Tavern which is found in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom.

From December 21 – January 4, this pirate themed restaurant, which normally serves Mexican fare, will be open for dinner with an Island Dinner Buffet.  The tropical themed feast will serve delicious dishes including:

Ocean harvest chowder with crackers
Lush garden greens with lite vinaigrette, Black Pearl balsamic dressing and ranch
Gulf grilled vegetable pasta salad
Shipwrecked tomato, mozzarella and basil salad
Sea salted green beans
Caribbean spiced sweet potato wedges
Treasures of mac and cheese
Rosemary-garlic pork steamship
Cannonball meatballs with marinara and Parmesan
Banana leaf baked mahi mahi with Gold Coast mango chutney
Barbossa’s braised beef with julienne carrots, celery and pearl onions
Captain Jack’s chicken breast with lemon and parsley
Assorted rolls with butter
Rice crispy bon bons
Mickey brownies
Assorted éclairs
No sugar added lemon cookies
Assorted cup cakes
Fresh fruit salad

The cost of the buffet is $35.99 for adults and $17.99 for children.  One thing to note:  an 18% gratuity will be automatically added to your bill, no matter your party size.  In addition, when dining at this restaurant, you may be seated either indoors or outdoors.

Dinner will be served from 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. and you can make Advanced Dining Reservations either online or by calling (407) WDW-DINE.

Tortuga Tavern can be found across the way from Pirates of the Caribbean and was previously known as El Pirata y El Perico.

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Walt Disney World for Ride Chickens

By Daisy Lauren

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Recently, I had the amazing opportunity to visit Disneyland Paris for the first time. While I was excited to try new things, I still found myself very worried about the intensity of attractions. Was the drop on Pirates of the Caribbean a little dip like Walt Disney World or was it quite a drop like Disneyland in California? I’m what you might call a “ride chicken.” More specifically I really don’t like drops on rides. Before each of my first visits to new parks, I’ve spent hours hunting on the web trying to decide if I’d enjoy rides or if they might leave me queasy sitting on a bench somewhere. That gave me the idea to put together my guide to Walt Disney World attractions for all of us ride chickens out there! Please keep in mind that these are just my opinions… and opinions by definition can’t be right. Of course, your mileage may vary, and if anyone has had a different experience, I always value your comments! Also, I left out any attractions where you can see an issue from outside. (Example: It is pretty obvious that you’ll be spinning on Mad Tea Party!) Let’s get started.

Magic Kingdom

The View on Big Thunder Mountain

Big Thunder Mountain: This is a not a terribly intense roller coaster. The worst part for me are a few bunny hops at the very end that make my tummy jump into my throat but it’s manageable and worth it to see all the theming. The track also isn’t very smooth and I’ve had friends complain about getting their brain rattled on this ride! Overall, this is a great coaster to start with before trying the others in the park.

Pirates of the Caribbean: I only mention this one because other versions around the world are more intense. The version at Magic Kingdom just has one little, tiny dip. It isn’t even worth mentioning. I’m the worst with drops, and it’s nothing!

Space Mountain: I wouldn’t ride this until just a few years ago. Honestly, it really isn’t that awful, but I can’t say I enjoy it. There is one drop that’s too much for me, but it’s over very quickly. The rest is just zipping around in the dark, which means if you don’t like roller coasters, you aren’t missing much here. The seats are also very low on this attraction, making it a little difficult to exit after you’ve been thrown around. I know many people will disagree with me, but I find Space Mountain very skippable if roller coasters aren’t your thing.

Splash Mountain: This ride is my arch nemesis. While I hate the drops, I still tell those who asks me that they should to absolutely ride it. The ride is beautiful and a real feat of Imagineering that everyone should see once. However, there are two sizable drops inside the attraction, as well as the huge one at the end to contend with. It’s easy to spot where they are on YouTube videos, so check those out in advance and be prepared. It really is worth it to see inside once!

Epcot

Maelstrom: This ride has a tiny dip similar to the one on Pirates of the Caribbean. The scarier part is the movie after the ride!

Mission: SPACE: This is a ride I could stay on over and over! I really enjoy the intense spinning! However, I have seen many people turn green and vow to never ride this again. I haven’t been able to find something to compare this ride to so I can give people an idea of what it feels like. It’s totally unique. However, if you know you don’t do well with spinning or simulators, your best bet is to choose the green side. In this line you get the same experience in a ride car that doesn’t spin at all. (Head for the orange line if you don’t fear spinning!)

Just before the finale on Test Track

Test Track: I don’t know that I’ve ever met anyone who said Test Track was too much. I’ve met people who were very afraid in line, but after riding everyone normally agrees it’s fun. There isn’t anything on the track that you can’t do in a car, so it isn’t that intense. I’m curious if there is anyone out there who disagrees?

Soarin’: This ride is a peaceful hang gliding simulator. While I would never have any trouble with this ride, I’ve been to the park with folks that feared heights that absolutely hated it. My husband is also very sensitive to simulators and sometimes comes off this ride nauseated when we are seated on the sides. I tend to think it’s a very small part of the population that doesn’t enjoy Soarin’. It’s a very gentle ride that shouldn’t be missed.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster: For anyone trying to get a gauge on where my tolerance level ends… it’s right about here. I’ve ridden Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster exactly once, and it was just way, way too much for me. The ride starts with a high speed launch that just doesn’t let up. All I remember is being knocked around and not seeing anything too magical. When I go to the parks with friends that want to ride this, I always watch the pre-show and line up with them then ask to exit. In my very humble opinion you aren’t missing much on the ride if you don’t enjoy coasters.

Star Tours: Those who are skipping this ride because the older version made them sick should really try it out again. My husband has a terrible time with simulators, but with the new version even he is able to ride with no trouble. I’m tempted to say if he can do it, anyone can!

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: This is one of two rides at Walt Disney World I’ve never ridden. (The other is Kali River Rapids. I just can’t bring myself to get drenched in Florida swamp water!) I can’t imagine anything worse than a straight drop down! I’ve heard people say it’s a different kind of drop, but I just can’t bring myself to try it. However, the pre-show and queue areas are beautiful! It is definitely worth a visit to check that out – even for a ride chicken!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

DINOSAUR: Personally, I love DINOSAUR, but this is a very dark and very bumpy jeep ride. If you think you’ll be uncomfortable in pitch black darkness making hairpin turns, this one might not be for you. There are also some pretty loud noises while you’re unable to see. As much as I’m partial to them, the visuals on the ride are not remarkable, and the ride can be really tough on your back. If that doesn’t sound like fun, this one might not be for you.

Expedition Everest: This is similar to Splash Mountain for me. I don’t love the actual ride, but it’s worth it to experience the theming. For years seeing the drop screaming out of the mountain kept me from riding, but that drop isn’t very bad and gives me no butterflies in my stomach. The more intense part of the ride is the backwards section through the mountain where I feel pushed into my seat and rattled. This ride also may be tough for anyone who fears heights, as the initial climb is open, giving you a view for miles. My feeling is that if you’ve tried Space Mountain and weren’t bothered by it then you should try Expedition Everest. It is certainly more intense, but it is also much more beautiful!

I think that covers the rides normally feared by us ride chickens. Did I miss any? Do you agree or disagree with my assessments above? Are you planning on trying a new ride on your next trip? Do you have any questions about other rides? Please let me know in the comments below. I always love to hear from you and I’m happy to help! Thanks so much for reading!

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A Peek At The Menu of Spice Road Table at Epcot

By Rikki Niblett

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Spicy Shrimp
©Disney

Spice Road Table has been a bit of a puzzle.  It was announced on April 1 this year that the restaurant was headed to the Morocco Pavilion at Epcot, construction was quite visible, but as the year has come to an end, minus one tiny update recently, details on the restaurant have been rather quiet.  Today, the Disney Parks Blog shared another piece of the puzzle, as they’ve now given us a look at some of the menu items we can expect to dine on when Spice Road Table officially opens.

Menu items released today include dishes like lamb sliders;  rice stuffed grape leaves; fried calamari; salted cod coquettes; and a tingis sampler.  Previously announced offerings include garlic jumbo shrimp in a spicy chile pepper sauce; harissa chicken drumettes; mussels with preserved lemons and tomato sauce; a Mediterranean omelet with sausage, potatoes and caramelized onion; and Moroccan merguez sausage with a tomato salad. Also available will be a wide selection of wines, a Spice Road Table Aperitif Flight, and sangria.

Salted Cod Croquettes
©Disney

Sangria
©Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fried Calamari
©Disney

Wines Available
©Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tingis Sampler
©Disney

Spice Road Aperitif Flight ©Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The restaurant’s inspiration is drawn from outdoor cafes found along the Mediterranean and it’s official opening date looks to have been pushed back a bit, with a new opening date scheduled for early 2014.

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All Animal Kingdom Touring Plans Updated for FastPass+

By Len Testa

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Starting Wednesday, December 18,  Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park will turn off its legacy FASTPASS machines and make FastPass+ available to all guests.

We’ve updated all of our Animal Kingdom touring plans to include suggested FastPass+ reservations times, and to remove references to the original FASTPASS system.

You’ll find each plan’s recommended FastPass+ return times in the Summary section.  If you’re able to secure FastPass+ reservations near these times, the plan should work without any changes:

Using Different Reservation Times or Attractions

If you get FastPass+ reservations at different times, or you’re using our free Disney World touring plan software to customize a plan with different FastPass+ attractions, enter your family’s current FastPass+ reservations into the section titled Reservations I Have Already Made on My Disney Experience.  We’ll adjust the touring plan to take advantage of whatever reservations you’ve got:

Help Choosing Your FastPass+ Attractions

If you’re not sure for which attractions you should use your FastPass+ reservations, we can make suggestions.  Simply enter how many FastPass+ opportunities you have (typically 3).  We’ll tell you which attractions in your plan would benefit most from FastPass+, and at what time to make your FastPass+ reservations:

As a reminder to off-site guests, you can make FastPass+ reservations at special FastPass+ kiosks located throughout the Animal Kingdom:

Expedition Everest
Kali River Rapids
Primeval Whirl
In front of the Disney Outfitters store on Discovery Island
In front of the FastPass+ Service Center near Creature Comforts on Discovery Island

If this is your first theme park visit in a while, our FASTPASS and FastPass+ overview will explain how to use both systems.

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Sofia The First and Doc McStuffins To Join Disney Junior Play ’n Dine

By Rikki Niblett

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Disney Junior has been knocking it out of the park with great programming lately. The pre-school set has been excitedly enjoying Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Jake and The Neverland Pirates, Doc McStuffins, and Sofia the First. Now, little ones will have to opportunity to meet the two newest members of the Disney Junior line up at the Disney Junior Play ’n Dine character meal that takes place at Hollywood & Vine at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Sofia the First and Doc McStuffins will now be added to the mix to meet guests, as well as dance with them during a brand new musical number that will take place during the meal.

©Disney

©Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The two stars will join favorites Handy Manny and Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Guests who would like to meet all four can do so during breakfast and lunch. Keep in mind that dinner at Hollywood and Vine is character-less. Leaving the restaurant’s Play ’n Dine meals will be Agent Oso and June from Little Einsteins.

Both Sofia and Doc McStuffins will join the character buffet starting on January 26.

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Ask Jim Hill Ep 19 – Disney Theme Park Memorabilia Part 3

By Guy Selga Jr.

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Part 3 of a 3-part special edition of Ask Jim Hill! Join Len Testa and Jim Hill as they discuss various pieces of Disney theme park memorabilia. In this episode, Len and Jim take a look at memorabilia and share stories about Fantasmic!, Disney Pogs, Videopolis, and more! Enjoy this mega-sized 17 minute episode!

Tomorrow we will be recording a new batch of Ask Jim Hill episodes! Submit your questions to AskJimHill@TouringPlans.com and the guys will answer them on YouTube!

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

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Observations From Disneyland and Disney California Adventure: December 14, 2013

By Guy Selga Jr.

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If you were at Disneyland Resort this last weekend you probably saw a lot of this. Crowds. This particular picture was taken during the 5:30 PM performance of A Christmas Fantasy Parade. The entire area of the park from the hub up to town square was gridlocked with people coming and going in every direction. This is what a 10 out of 10 on the Crowd Calendar looks like.

Earlier during the day I was able to catch A Christmas Fantasy Parade. I make it a point to watch it at least once a year.

More pictures after the jump:

The Babes In Toyland toy soldiers. Classic.

The roller skating snowflakes are one of my favorite parts of the parade. They’re so disco.

Eeyore pulling his busted sleigh.

It amazes me that Mickey and Mickey actually skate around on this float!

The princess parade float. Snow White and Ariel have to walk while the rest get to ride on the float.

Santa ends the parade on a very nice parade unit with huge Christmas trees.Moving on, these have probably been around for a couple of months now, but this is a Gaston Archery Set! This is basically just a repackaging of the Brave Archery Set. I guess boys didn’t want to play with a bow and arrow with a princess on the package.

Before I head in to DCA, what did I eat today? My favorite sandwich from the delightful Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney. I got a Full The Full Montagu, no cheese, but with banana peppers. Delicious!

For dessert I got the special peppermint brownie. It’s a regular brownie with a hint of peppermint, I enjoyed it.

Heading in to DCA, my party quickly realized that we didn’t want to wait for anything (this is how locals usually feel when they visit the parks). So we headed for Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue, which was posting a 10 minute wait.

The only Christmas decoration Monsters, Inc. receives during the holidays is the Santa hat for Roz. I LOVE this little detail.

Speaking of Santa hats, Mater has his giant hat over in Cars Land.

But no Santa hat for Lightning McQueen.

I also watched Wold of Color Winter Dreams on Saturday night. I won’t get in to it too much because it’s impossible for me to take a good picture of the show. But I do enjoy the winter version of World of Color. I think visually it’s much more interesting than the regular show. Take a look at the picture, and you can see the lights that were added to the side of California Screamin’. It adds so much to the show, and I hope they find a way to incorporate it in to the regular show.

Clarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Parlor got a new visual menu. It’s pretty much the same menu but there’s one interesting difference. Disney actually lowered the price on something! The ice cream sundaes served in souvenir Red Car Trolleys are now $9.99 instead of $11.99!

This nice Grizzly River Run hoodie popped up over at Rushin’ River Outfitters. I don’t need another hoodie, nor do I want to pay $50 for this one. But for some reason I feel the need to purchase and support tasteful pieces of merchandise like this. FYI, this same design can also be found on a regular shirt.

Also new, this Grizzly River Run hat.

That’s all for this time. I leave you with this picture. While I was walking back to Mickey & Friends I saw the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile leaving Downtown Disney!

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